My career within the Petroleum/Piping Industry
I spent the vast majority of my adult life working within the Petroleum/Petro-Chem industries. I began my many years in the "oil-patch" in the early 70s in yes, that "sleepy-little-hollow," known as Taft, California (the place of my birth). In the late 70s or early 80s I began working turn-arounds/shut-downs (scheduled or otherwise) in the oil refineries of the world, as a pipe-fitter/instrumentation fitter/boiler-maker. I worked in all facets of the industry with the exception of recovery; (i.e., drilling) however, I did work for a few weeks off-shore on the Shell Beta platform off the Port of Los Angeles. I also worked installing fire-sprinkler systems in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (1997-98). I opted for early retirement when an old shoulder injury forced me to give up my craft. Now; don't get me wrong, I enjoy this "place in time," where I am these days. Can you dig it? Best regards.
Degar
The "Oil Patch"
"Oil Patch" in Taft, CA
"Oil Patch" #2
"Oil Patch" #3
"Oil Patch" #4 Struther's Thermo-Flood Steam Generator (I used to rebuild these monsters!)
"Oil Patch" #5 Your Typical "Gang-Truck" in the patch!
Oil Refineries
Tasco Refinery (Bakersfield, CA)
Tasco Refinery #2
Houses that Degar piped (fire-sprinkler systems) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (Old Faithful Fire-Sprinkler Systems, Inc)
Jackson Hole Projecrts
Jackson Hole Projects #2
Jackson Hole Projects #3
Jackson Hole Projects #4
Jackson Hole Projects #5
Jackson Hole Projects #6 (self-portrait)
Hydromatix, Inc. (water-filteration systems) 1999-2000
Degar in Hydromatix Shop (1999)
The Packard-Hughes Project (Hydromatix, Inc.) 2000
Pachard - Hughes Filtration Syster #1
Pachard - Hughes Filtration Syster #2
Pachard - Hughes Filtration Syster #3
The City of Long Beach (COM-SEC, Inc. Security Systems)
Degar in the employ of the city of Long Beach, CA (2002) #1
Comsec, Inc. #1 (Long Beach Marina) Alarm light above entrance & FOB reader on the dock's gate were part of the security system that I helped installed in the Summer of '02)
Comsec, Inc. #1 (2002)
Comsec, Inc. #2
Comsec, Inc. #3
Comsec, Inc. #4
Piping Projects with Pacific Rim Mechanical (2003-04)
Covington Project in Aliso Viejo (Orange County, California)
Covington Job Site (2003-4)
Pipe Rack in Boiler Room (2004)
Covington Project (closed hydration system)
Covington Project #2
Chiller Unit in Mechanical Room
Covington Project Piping
Covington Project Piping
Seimic Restraints
Water Pumps we set in Mechanical Room
My Welder Gabriel (an artist with pipe)
Varian Project in Orange County, CA
Varian Project
Shot from roof
Degar at the Varion Job Site (2004)
My Welder "Nick" (excellant welder!)
Pre-fabing pipe
Piping in back early-on in the project
Taking Shape!
Getting There!
Pipe Rack
Roof Piping
Varian Job Site (Irvine, CA 2004)
Installation process up on the roof! (2004)
Roof Piping
Roof Piping moving right a long!
Running copper on the roof!
Running copper on the roof!
Cross-overs
Pipe Rack
Finished Product!
Sempra Energy Co-generation Unit (Orange County, CA)
Co-generation Unit (Orange County Sempra Facility) 2002
Sempra Co-Gen (Orange County, CA)
Sempra Co-Gen (Orange County, CA)
Sempra Co-Gen (Orange County, CA) #3
Sempra Engery
Tube Sheet
Man-way into vessel
Sempra Energy Header Repair (2002)
Rig-welder on site
"One Tired Old Fart!"
Neville Piping Project (2003)
Copper Tubing to Activator Pumps that I prefabed and installed in January of 2003) #1
Copper Tubing to Activator Pumps that I prefabed and installed in January of 2003) #2
Copper Tubing to Activator Pumps that I prefabed and installed in January of 2003) #3
Copper Tubing to Activator Pumps that I prefabed and installed in January of 2003) #4
Copper Tubing to Activator Pumps that I prefabed and installed in January of 2003) #5
Job-site fore; George (in foreground) and another fitter, Hiplito!
Cheese Cake Factory (new-boiler installation)
Degar at the Cheese Factory!
Temporary-boiler for the Cheese Cake factory!
Old Boiler
Demo Done!
Welder prefabing 4" steam-line
Copper Lines that I ran to new boiler
Crane for new boiler
Our Motely Crew; minus Degar!
Sempra Engery (next to Beverley Hills High School)
Sempra Engery (Beverley Hills)
Tube sheet in the heat-exchanger
Heat Exchangers
Flange to be replaced
Header with blinded gate-valve
Long Beach Water Recycling Plant (2003)
Long Beach Water Recycing Plant (2003)
Degar installing 12" PVC pipe at Long Beach water recycling facility!
Piping detail installation in the cellar!
R.O. (reverse-osmosis) unit #1
R.O. (reverse-osmosis) unit #2
Print 