Private Training

Nathan Barkley, P.E. With nearly 15 years of experience in mechanical design and analysis for pressure vessels and heat exchangers, Nathan Barkley specializes in ASME Section VIII, Division 1 and Division 2 equipment. Formerly the Lead Design Engineer at a top fabrication company, he is well-versed in ASME and API codes for new and post-construction. His expertise includes pressure vessel design, fitness for service, repairs, and inspection. Nathan is an active ASME committee member and has published peer-reviewed papers on pressure vessel design. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering, a certificate in Engineering Mechanics from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas with API 510 certification.

Nathan Barkley, P.E. 

Nathan Barkley, P.E. With nearly 15 years of experience in mechanical design and analysis for pressure vessels and heat exchangers, Nathan Barkley specializes in ASME Section VIII, Division 1 and Division 2 equipment. Formerly the Lead Design Engineer at a top fabrication company, he is well-versed in ASME and API codes for new and post-construction. His expertise includes pressure vessel design, fitness for service, repairs, and inspection. Nathan is an active ASME committee member and has published peer-reviewed papers on pressure vessel design. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering, a certificate in Engineering Mechanics from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas with API 510 certification.

Michael (Mike) Bober

Maureen Brody is a Curriculum and Instructional Design specialist with a background in document production, technical writing and editing, and project management. As an educator with over 10 years in the classroom, Maureen has taught various age groups, from middle schoolers through adults, and has authored multiple curricula, classroom materials, and assessments. 

In her time with Becht, Maureen formerly served as Production Support Manager to Becht Performance Group, where she assisted with the development of technical training materials and document standards and provided project management both internally and externally for multiple training and document management projects. 

As Training Lead with the Learning & Development Division, Maureen uses her expertise in curriculum and instructional design to help guide and strengthen Becht’s public and private training offerings, as well as providing client needs assessments and project management for private training courses. ​Maureen holds a BA in English from the Pennsylvania State University as well as a teaching certification in Secondary English Education from Stockton University.

Maureen Brody

Gerrit Buchheim, a renowned industry expert with 40 years of metallurgical, corrosion, and inspection experience, specializes in damage mechanisms such as sulfidation, wet H2S cracking, creep, HTHA, and fire damage assessment. His expertise includes creating IOWs and CCDs, conducting corrosion reviews for RBI projects, and performing FFS assessments. Mr. Buchheim has focused on aging fixed equipment in refineries, petrochemical, and upstream facilities, excelling in the identification, repair, and remediation of common damage mechanisms.  He has actively contributed to API and NACE standards development, serving in leadership roles and teaching courses. Currently with Becht Engineering, he leads a top-notch Metallurgical/Integrity Management team, providing expert advice to numerous refineries. Mr. Buchheim holds BS and MS degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and is a licensed professional engineer in Ohio.

Gerrit Buchheim

Mark Carte is a veteran Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) expert with 45 years in sectors like petroleum, petrochemicals, and aerospace. He specializes in multi-discipline NDE methods for damage detection, including advanced techniques like phased array UT and tube-to-tube sheet weld inspections. Certified in multiple NDE disciplines, Mark also trains operators and contributes to industry standards as Vice Chair of the API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit.

Mark Carte

Tom Collins is President of NEET Corporation. He retired in 2019 as Vice President- Electrostatic Process at Forum Energy Technologies in Houston, Texas. His responsibilities have included technical sales, process review, desalter design, troubleshooting, training, optimization and business development. Tom started in the Technical Service Department at Petreco in 1980, servicing desalters worldwide. He spent his career in the field of desalting and has over 42 years experience in this area. Tom has authored and co-authored papers on desalting for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and has been active in the AFPM, formerly the NPRA, for over 30 years.

Tom Collins

Alan R. English is an independent consultant, has extensive experience in the petroleum refining industry. During his 40 plus year career, he helped dozens of refineries in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East optimize their performance. He was employed at KBC Advanced Technologies, Sunoco, Chevron and Gulf Oil. Al led the development and commercialization of the use of tin for vanadium passivation and bismuth for nickel passivation. He has authored or co-authored 13 publications and twice served on the NPRA (now AFPM) Q & A Panel. He holds three US patents. Al has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University and an Executive Masters degree in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania.

Alan R. English

Donald Frikken, PE, an internationally recognized authority in piping design, brings 34 years of experience from Solutia, Inc. and Monsanto Company to Becht Engineering. Specializing in complex piping systems, flexibility analysis, and standards development, he is an ASME Fellow actively involved in various standards committees. As a member and past Chair of the ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code committee and the B31 Standards Committee, Don has received prestigious awards, including the ASME Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Medal. Holding a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in civil engineering, Don is a distinguished figure in the field.

Donald Frikken, PE

Annette Karstensen, PhD, is a licensed engineer in Australia and the UK with over 25 years of experience in Structural Integrity. She specializes in crack and remaining life assessments using BS7910 and API 579 standards for hydro power, fossil power, and petrochemical plants. Before joining Becht, she spent 18 years with Quest Integrity in Asia Pacific and 7 years with TWI in the UK. Annette has also conducted over 40 API 579 training courses across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

Annette Karstensen, PhD

David Keen is a qua​lified Metallurgist with over 46yrs domestic and international experience in Syngas manufacturing facilities. David is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on fixed equipment integrity management and has in recent years downloaded this knowledge into a series of training modules focused on preventing equipment failures through experiential learning and ​team problem solving sessions. He has held various positions including Global Company Chief Engineer, VP Global Reliability & Risk, Company Engineer Fixed Equipment, Reliability Manager, Operations Manager, Maintenance Manager, T/A Manager and Plant Metallurgist. David has worked as a consultant to Hydrogen, Ammonia and Methanol plants in 12 countries globally. He has been involved in implementing RBI programs, IOW programs, auditing fixed equipment management, completion of failure investigations, root cause analyses, fixed equipment repairs and design and construction of new fixed equipment. David has worked on 33 steam methane reformers and is a recognized subject matter expert in the integrity management of SMRs.

David Keen

Don Kurle brings over 30 years of expertise in pressure vessel and heat exchanger design in the chemical industries, with strengths in minimum design metal temperature, fitness for service, and ASME Code applications. He has served as a technical support engineer, training clients on vessel design software and ASME Code. Don holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, co-owns a patent for a tubular reactor, and is actively involved in several ASME committees. His ASME roles include Vice Chair of Subgroup External Pressure and Subgroup Toughness, and he is a member of the Heat Transfer Equipment subgroup.

Don Kurle

Belal Hassoun, P. Eng., is a seasoned professional with 25+ years in oil and gas, specializing in fired equipment engineering. His roles have included Design Engineer, Sr. Fired Equipment Engineer, Package Engineer, and Consultant. Belal has led/participated in numerous projects, including a high-profile FAIR at Kuwait's KNPC Shuaiba Refinery and the evaluation of a new ferrule system in a Sulphur Recovery Unit. These projects resulted in significant cost savings and operational improvements. He holds a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary and is known for his collaborative approach and commitment to delivering results.

Belal Hassoun, P. Eng

Jeff Johns has over 35 years in petroleum refining, Jeff Johns, honored as a Chevron Hydroprocessing Fellow, excels in hydrocracker and hydrotreater design/operation. He managed global hydrocracking/hydrotreating technology at Chevron, enhancing safety, reliability, and profitability. Jeff, a technology mentor, led an Industry Committee for 20 years, sharing safety insights. As an AFPM Q&A Panel member, he directed technology seminars and served on the Board of Directors for Advanced Refining Technologies. Holding a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Jeff has six patents in hydroprocessing technology.

Jeff Johns

Warren S. Letzsch is an independent consultant with an extensive FCC background. His prior employment was with Stone & Webster, Inc., a Shaw Group Company, where he was responsible for FCC/DCC technology and business development and with Refining Process Services where he was involved in licensing of the MagnaCat® Process. He was also Director of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for UOP/Katalistiks. He has had experience with Total Petroleum as Manager of Refining Technology and with Davison Chemical and Shell Chemical in research, marketing, and technical support of petroleum catalysts. Warren has authored numerous articles on refining technology and holds seven patents in the FCC area. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Warren S. Letzsch

Sam Lordo is a recognized industry expert and has over 45 years’ experience in refinery process chemistry/chemical treatments, opportunity crude processing and crude desalting. During his 45 years of corrosion / refining / petrochemical experience, he has been involved in all aspects of managing risk due changing crude slates and process conditions; including corrosion prevention, fouling prevention and control, failure analysis, and crude desalting.

Sam Lordo

Terry McLane brings vast experience in inspection and mechanical integrity, holding numerous certifications such as API-510 and AWS-CWI. His background includes roles as Chief Inspector and Inspection Superintendent, where he oversaw safety protocols and major projects. Actively engaged with API committees, he contributes to industry standards and teaches on welding metallurgy and safety, equipping students with the technical and safety knowledge needed in the field.

Terry McLane

Mitch Moloney, a Texas-registered PE, graduated from Princeton University in 1979 with a BSc in Chemical Engineering. He spent 40 years with ExxonMobil before transitioning to consulting in 2019 and has been with Becht for the past four years as a process engineering and resid upgrading specialist. His career, which began at Exxon’s Bayway Refinery, has focused on delayed coking, visbreaking, and resid upgrading since 1989. He has led process design, troubleshooting, and training in these areas, with career highlights including the start-up of the Venezuelan Cerro Negro Upgrader (2001) and Antwerp DCU (2018). Mitch enjoys family, heavy oil upgrading, languages, art, and sports.

Mitch Moloney

Brad Moulton, a Senior Fellow and Lead Vibration Engineer, has over 25 years of experience in structural vibrations and acoustics. He specializes in onsite measurement, design verification, and computational problem-solving across industries, including petroleum, chemical, power generation, metals processing, aerospace, and manufacturing.

His expertise includes mechanical integrity assessments, ASME and API component design, transient and dynamic fluid system analysis, vibration assessments of safety and pressure relief systems, and industrial noise mitigation. Brad is skilled in cross-disciplinary collaboration, leading teams to develop holistic solutions for complex vibration challenges.

He has contributed to global standards development for ISO, ANSI, and ASA committees on industrial noise and vibration measurement and actively participates in ASME and API code development. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with highest honors from Georgia Tech.

Nadarajah (Ranjan) Chithranjan, Ph.D, PE, career has spanned over 18 years of worldwide involvement in petrochemical industries for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. Prior to joining Becht Engineering, he worked as a fixed equipment specialist at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering and he has worked in more than a dozen countries worldwide to solve complex mechanical plant problems as well as mechanical support for large scale projects. He has extensive knowledge in pressure vessels, piping, and storage tanks, design and maintenance codes. At ExxonMobil, he was the lead fitness for service specialist and he is very well versed with the fitness for service codes as well as linear and non-linear finite element methods to solve complicated plant problems. Ranjan was also the Mechanical Delayed Coker and Storage Tank subject matter expert at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. He was a former member of API-650 Welded Steel Tank for Oil Storage and presently he is a member of the ASME Working Group on Section VIII, Division II, Design by Analysis and Working Group on Section VIII, Division II, High temperature design. He has more than twenty publications and two patents. Dr. Nadarajah received his PhD and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Chithranjan Nadarajah, PhD, PE

Brad Palmer has 32 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, with engineering and leadership roles in both technical and operations. He began in oil and gas production before transitioning to refining, where he spent most of his career with Chevron, Conoco, ConocoPhillips, and Phillips 66. His early roles at Chevron covered process engineering in various units, including hydrotreating, crude, FCCs, and planning. He later joined Conoco’s central technology group, specializing in Reforming and Isomerization for 17 years. Brad's last role was Process Engineering Superintendent at the Alliance Refinery, leading project and process teams. His expertise spans process training, troubleshooting, optimization, reliability, safety, project development, and technology innovation. He holds eight patents and has been a Becht Process Technology Advisor for over a year.

Louis Pasnik has 25 years’ experience as a thermal and mechanical engineer with specific emphasis on heat exchangers, furnaces, and combustion equipment. Thirteen of those years were spent as a plant based “boots-on-the-ground” heat transfer engineer for a Major Owner/Operator supporting multiple refineries & petrochemical plants with troubleshooting and planning repairs on heat transfer equipment. In addition, he has worked on large and small capital projects both as an EPC and as an Owner/Operator. Mr. Pasnik currently serves as the vice-chair of API 660, Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers.

Louis Pasnik

Ron Tebbetts, a retired Industry Technical Consultant with 32 years at Nalco, is an expert in water treatment for Refining, Chemical, Power, and Pulp & Paper industries across North America, the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific. As a water treatment SME at Becht, he provides technical support and conducts educational seminars on raw water, cooling water, and wastewater technology. He holds a BS Degree from Louisiana State University.

Ron Tebbetts

John P. Richert, a refining metallurgy and corrosion expert, has 40 years of experience in damage mechanisms, mechanical integrity, and corrosion control. He has led corrosion studies, failure investigations, and RBI at Unocal, Saudi Aramco-Mobil, and ExxonMobil, where he also drove global mechanical integrity initiatives. An active AMPP (NACE) member, he contributes to technical committees, publications, and conferences. He holds a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

John P. Richert

Trevor Seipp, M.Sc., P.Eng., has over 23 years of expertise in process and power equipment design, including finite element analysis and fatigue assessments. At Becht, he developed a Design-By-Analysis course and is active in ASME Codes and Standards. An ASME Fellow, he has held leadership roles and authored numerous papers. He holds an M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a licensed engineer in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

Trevor Seipp, M.Sc., P.Eng.

Nasser Sheikhi, a refinery mechanical Integrity Expert with 41 years of experience at BP. His roles included site metallurgist, TAR inspection lead, inspection & reliability superintendent, and corporate metallurgy & corrosion advisor. He played a key role in risk-based inspection, unit DMRs, CCD reviews, and audits of RBI-related work. Nasser, a dual-degree holder in BS Metallurgical Engineering and Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, has actively contributed to API and NACE STG 34, STG 39, and TEG 205X.

Nasser Sheikhi

John P. Swezy, Jr. is an ASME Fellow who has been a member of the ASME B31.3 Committee for 16 years and is the current Vice Chair, as well as the Chair of Subgroup Edit, and the upcoming Vice Chair of the B31 Piping Standards Committee. John has been working with ASME BPV Codes for 30 years as a member of ASME Section VIII, and Section IX, serving in various leadership roles of their supporting Subgroups. He was previously a contracted Instructor for ASME Learning and Development training sessions for ASME B31.3, ASME Section VIII, Divisions 1 & 2, NBIC/API 510 Repairs and Alterations, and API579/ASME FFS-1.  As a staff technical expert for three different ASME accredited Authorized Inspection Agencies, and an Independent consultant doing business as Boiler Code Tech, LLC, John has seen and heard a lot in his career and loves helping Code users resolve compliance problems. 

Swezy Jr., John

Andrew G. Thigpen is a materials and integrity engineer specializing in welding, metallurgy, and asset integrity. He has led inspection, corrosion control, and risk-based integrity programs at Vertex Mobile Site and Shell Mobile Refinery, contributing to renewable diesel conversion and welding program development. An API RP 582 Subcommittee member, he holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn, an M.S. in Welding Engineering from Ohio State, and multiple API certifications, including CWI.