Why Responsiveness Is So Critical in Oil & Gas
By Jean-Gaël Le Floc’h with contributions from Marisa Fedele
A recently replaced FCC regenerator develops a hot spot. The engineering firm had warned that going more than two hours without steam would start consuming creep rupture life and render the nozzle unfit for service – but this limit has just been exceeded and the owner is growing increasingly desperate. A technical support request is submitted. Now the team waits in nervous anticipation: who’s going to respond, and how long will it take?
This type of scenario plays out every day across the refining and petrochemical industries, and what happens next often determines whether a facility recovers smoothly or faces significant and long-lasting consequences. The financial stakes are high: each hour of unplanned downtime can cost a refinery $100,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the equipment involved.
When these moments occur, responsiveness becomes a critical factor. It helps stabilize operations, maintain safety, and keep output goals within reach. Particularly in today’s lower-margin environment, acting quickly with the right expertise can make all the difference between recovery and costly delay.
Understanding Responsiveness in an Industrial Context
In conversations with refinery operators and petrochemical teams, responsiveness typically refers to how rapidly and effectively a partner engages when support is needed. This involves prompt action that brings deep subject matter knowledge to the issue immediately.
Industrial facilities deal with complex, high-stakes operations. A delay in addressing any problem can lead to ripple effects across an entire plant or unit. That might mean anything from reduced throughput and compromised product quality to elevated energy consumption and increased emissions, any or all of which can erode margin. The ability to respond swiftly, with the appropriate skill set, has a direct impact on financial performance.
Across the refining and petrochemical sectors, expectations around responsiveness have become more urgent. Facilities are facing tighter margins, leaner staffing, and higher pressure to maintain operational continuity. Many sites are operating with narrower performance thresholds and fewer internal resources, which has shifted how clients work with consultants and technical service providers.
In regions like Europe, where the margin squeeze has been especially sharp, the urgency is even more pronounced. A number of refineries have closed in recent years and the competition to remain viable is fierce. Teams are working extended hours, including nights and weekends, to resolve issues quickly and avoid prolonged disruptions – which means they need partners who understand these pressures and respond accordingly. But these evolving expectations aren’t limited to Europe: facilities globally are navigating increasingly complex challenges. Market dynamics, environmental regulations, and evolving feedstocks are fueling demand for faster, more flexible technical support.
Responsiveness helps protect profitability. When external experts step in quickly to help resolve an issue, a plant can return to stable, efficient operation and maintain its competitive edge.
The Cost of Delayed Support
If consultants or vendors fail to respond with urgency, facilities face real risk. Unresolved issues often escalate, increasing both the time and cost required for repair. This lack of responsiveness also erodes trust.
Delayed support can result in:
- Extended downtime and production losses
- Reduced product quality or inconsistent output
- Increased safety or environmental risk
- Regulatory or compliance violations
- Additional wear or damage to equipment
- Lost confidence in partners, reducing future opportunities for collaboration
For operators, these outcomes directly affect performance. For service providers, they create long-term consequences that can be difficult to recover from. Organizations pay close attention to how quickly and effectively support is delivered when the pressure is on.
Becht’s Approach to Responsiveness
Becht builds responsiveness into every aspect of the business, from global coverage to internal systems to cultural norms.
Global Office Network
To provide support in real time, Becht has built a worldwide footprint of expertise across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. This structure enables continuous progress across time zones. When a client logs an issue late in their day, teams in other regions can pick it up and begin work so that answers are ready when the organization resumes business the next morning.
Real-Time Issue Routing
The BechtCONNECT digital support platform allows facilities to submit requests directly to the correct team. Issues flagged as urgent are prioritized and routed to the appropriate subject matter expert rapidly. The platform helps eliminate delays from email bottlenecks or individual availability, and submitters can potentially receive an initial response in as little as an hour. That speed makes a difference, especially when the next shift, turnaround, or process change depends on expert input.
Staying Aligned with Evolving Needs
Quick responses only help when the relevant capabilities are in place. To keep pace with changing industry requirements, Becht continues to expand its expertise in evolving areas like renewable fuels, carbon capture, and artificial intelligence. Bringing in subject matter experts with in-depth knowledge and experience in these fields makes it possible to meet clients where they are and deliver support that fits current challenges.
When Responsiveness Changed the Outcome
In mission-critical operating environments, the timing of a response often shapes the outcome. These real-life situations demonstrate how critical responsiveness can be in maintaining stability and minimizing impact when unexpected challenges arise. For example:
- Rapid holiday response restores refinery operations after major fire: Just before Christmas, a European refinery experienced a fire on one of its process units. They contacted Becht on December 23. A subject matter expert visited the site the next day, returned home for the holiday, then came back on December 26 to lead recovery work. Thanks to the fast response and hands-on leadership, the unit restarted safely by mid-January.
- Preventing an FCC shutdown after amine system leaks: A European refinery identified multiple leaks in its FCC unit’s LPG anime system, creating a potential safety hazard. The client contacted Becht by phone and followed up with an email. Within two hours, a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts were on a call providing recommendations. When a second leak was found the next day, the same expert reengaged almost immediately, helping the refinery avoid an unplanned shutdown and maintain stable operations through the weekend.
- HTHA risk resolved through global collaboration: A refinery reported a high-temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) concern. Investigating and addressing this issue typically takes weeks. In this case, Becht leveraged a team across Europe, the U.S., and the Asia-Pacific to work in sequence. Their collaboration delivered initial guidance to the client within three days, significantly reducing the turnaround time.
- On-site support in under 72 hours: A refinery in the U.S. experienced a critical issue with its electrical distribution system. The general manager contacted Becht on a Friday. Over the weekend, the right specialist was identified and was on-site and ready to support by Monday morning. The rapid response helped limit disruption and get the issue under control.
- Emergency deployment to an LNG facility: When a furnace failure occurred at an LNG plant in West Africa, the client reached out through their U.S. contacts at Becht. Despite international travel restrictions, a Becht expert arrived on site within three days. The advisor stabilized the situation, led the root cause analysis, and helped prevent a significant production loss.
- Crude compatibility assessment during a supply chain crisis: After sanctions limited access to Russian crude, a European refinery received a shipment of unfamiliar feedstock. They needed to assess its impact quickly to decide whether to accept or reject the cargo. Becht engineers evaluated fouling, corrosion, and operational risks, then delivered a recommendation within three days that the refinery could process the crude. The client proceeded confidently, avoiding unnecessary cost (potential ship demurrage) or delay.
- FCC regenerator catalyst withdrawal line hotspot: A recently replaced FCC regenerator developed a hot spot. The engineering firm had set a strict two-hour steam outage limit, beyond which the nozzle would consume creep rupture life and become unfit for service. That limit was exceeded and the owner urgently turned to Becht. Experts quickly performed the correct analysis and delivered a rational assessment. A multimillion-dollar replacement, previously recommended by another contractor, was avoided and operation continued safely until the next turnaround.
What Sets Responsive Partners Apart?
When practiced consistently, responsiveness leads to safer operations and higher uptime. But delivering it requires a consistent commitment to making the organization’s challenge a top priority.
Today’s refining and petrochemical sectors rely on support that arrives quickly, brings the right expertise, and helps restore confidence. At Becht, we’ve built our structure to deliver that level of service, and our team is ready to respond with the urgency your facility demands.
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