Introduction to Facilities Engineering is a series of lectures held during the lunch hour at the SPE Houston training center. These lectures cover topics to familiarize engineers and non-engineers with the principles of production operations and equipment commonly used in the oilfield, with specific emphasis on offshore. Lunch is included and served at 1100, and lectures begin at 1130.

At the end of the series attendees should have a general appreciation of how production facilities fit into the overall scheme for developing oil and gas fields, the different pieces of equipment used in typical facilities, how they work, and how they are assembled into a system. Sizing, design equations, specifications, and costs of equipment and piping systems are beyond the scope of this course.

Lectures are available to purchase in packages grouped according to related topic. You can also save up to USD 450 by purchasing the entire 12-lecture series.

You will be able to better understand how to choose amongst various equipment types, what to look for in solving operating problems and modifying existing designs, how to better understand and question vendor claims, and how to choose a system which meets life cycle objectives.

These lectures are designed specifically to address the day-to-day needs of practicing engineers and managers who want to know more about the basic theory, details of selection, and design of production facilities.

0.1 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) are awarded for each hour with a maximum of 2.5 CEUs for the entire 12-lecture series.

A fee equal to 25% of the package fee will be charged for cancellations less than 15 working days before the first lecture of the package begins. No refunds will be made for cancellations after the first lecture of the package begins. Refunds or substitutions are not allowed for individual lectures within or between packages.

Kenneth E. Arnold has over 45 years of industry experience with 16 years at Shell Oil Company. He founded Paragon Engineering Services in 1980 which was purchased by AMEC in 2005. Arnold retired from AMEC in 2007 and is currently Senior Technical Advisor for WorleyParsons and an independent consultant providing project management, facilities engineering and engineering management consulting to the oil and gas industry.  He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005.

Arnold is on the Board of SPE as Vice President of Finance and was SPE’s first Technical Director for Projects, Facilities and Construction. He is on the editorial board of SPE’s Oil & Gas Facilities magazine and recently chaired a national research council report on measuring the effectiveness of offshore safety and environmental management systems. 

Arnold is co-author of two textbooks and over 50 technical articles on project management and facilities design. He has twice been chosen as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer and was named 2003 Houston Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Arnold has taught facilities engineering at the University of Houston and is a recipient of the SPE Public Service Award, the SPE DeGolyer Medal, and the SPE Production Engineering Award.

He has received an American Petroleum Institute citation for his work in promoting offshore safety and was recognized by the Offshore Energy Center in 2009 for his pioneering work in helping to develop API RP 14C. He is a registered professional engineer and serves on the advisory board of the engineering schools of both Tulane University and Cornell University, and is a Trustee of Southwest Research Institute. Arnold earned his BCE degree from Cornell University and MS degree in civil engineering from Tulane University.