Do Due Diligence

“Diligence is a good thing, but taking things easy is much more restful” -- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

An expert you may find useful is Dr. Amarjit Bakshi (abakshi@rhtgulfcoast.com), whom I found thanks to his contribution to a LinkedIn group I follow.

He has produced a number of patents, written articles for PTQ-Petroleum Technology Quarterly, Oil & Gas Journal, and Chemical Engineer, and is principal in a Texas based company named RHT-Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies (www.rhtgulfcoast.com)

As promising as all this seems, common sense dictates that you conduct some kind of background check before seriously considering a business arrangement.

Due diligence experts are available, but you can do a preliminary background check on your own, at no cost beyond your hourly rate.

Here is a checklist of free resources. You may be aware of most, if not all, but using a checklist helps you ensure a thorough check.

• Google (Miscellany)
• Google Scholar (Peer reviewed articles)
• Google Patents (Both granted and applied for)
• Obtain full text of articles (your librarian can help with this)
• Company’s Web
• LinkedIn (Read expert’s profile; note the groups he/she belongs to; is he/she connected to anyone you may know?)
• Remember to check your subscribed databases. Many organizations subscribe to LexisNexis, EbscoHost, and Dun & Bradstreet, among others

Squeeze the most value out of each item on your check list. For example, when you search for patents, study the results for …

• Inventors (associates)
• Assignee (company names)
• Abstract (key words and concepts)
• Referenced by (more associates; more company names)

Here are some results from a PRELIMINARY background check on Dr. Amarjit Bakshi.

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Publications
"Two phase flow and Natural Circulation Reboiler design", Chemical Engineer (UK) 1978 ''
"New route for MMA production " Oil & Gas Journal, 1986
"Visbreaker Design " Oil & Gas Journal, 1986
"Hydrogen Donor Visbreaking" oil and Gas Journal, 1987
"Why RHT Sulfuric Acid Alkylation", Presented at ERTC Annual conference 13-15 November, 2006
"New developments in Sulfuric acid alkylation" 2Q 2007 PTQ Magazine

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LinkedIn Profiles
Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.EngPresident at Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
Houston, Texas Area
President & CEO at Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
Past•Senior Manager , Refinery Advisor at Technip USA
•Director Strategic Business Development Refining Business area at GTC Technology LLP
•Senior Technology Manager/BD Executive at ABB LUMMUS GLOBAL INC
Consultannt at Jacobs see less...
Education•University of Surrey
•Scindia Public School
•University of Surrey
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Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng’s Summary
RECENT Consultation Projects:with FUND Managers and others:
— Swedish Refining Industry
— Canadian Income Trust Model
— Design simulation software market
— North and South American oil exploration
— Refining technology solutions users
— Scandinavian refining industry
— Gas Transportation Infrastructure and
— Electrical energy transformer industry (
— Industrial Safety Technology Products
— Plant safety equipment and technology industry

Expert and innovative in all aspects of Refining and Petrochemical Busines including renewable fuels. Providing technology Licensing with smart configuaration to cut cost below 50 % of the present technologies.

Over 32 years experience in Engineering Management at senior level in Process Engineering, Technology, Operations and Project Management, Licensing, Acquisitions, Alliances and Business Development. Provided proven leadership and vision with broader perspectives and able to manage multiple tasks and personnel on mega projects. Significant Technology and process design and supervision experience in the field of refining including Crude/Vacuum units, Hydro Processing (All hydrotreating/ HDS and hydrocracking), FCC, Gas Plants, Alkylation, Reforming, and visbreaking including other Gasoline Processes e.g Iso-octene/Iso-octane and all units in Lube refining. ..Patents provide refiners and petrochemical plants innovations to enhance the performance of the units. Experience in safety audits, refinery optimization and heat integration/conservation studies.Worked in UK, Germany, Netherlands and USA, in a team environment and worked with multi cultural groups from North America/Japan/ Korea/China/Middle East/ Europe/ Russia/Iran etc. Experienced in business development in North America, Far East, India, middle East, Europe, Russia, Iran etc

Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng’s Specialties:
Areas of interest:
1.. Refining Technology Options
2.CO2 Sequestration and other options
3.Advanced Technologies for Gas and Oil production from Shale/Oil Sands/Biomass .
4.Renewable Fuels, Ethanol from Cellulose, Biodiesel from Algae …
5.Operational Excellence of all Oil and Gas facilities,
6.Heavy Oil and Residue upgrading
7.Project development, Licensing , Catalyst selection, Basic and Process engineering,
8.New curriculum for Petroleum and Chemical Engineering
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Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng’s Experience
President & CEO
Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
(Partnership; Oil & Energy industry)
January 2008 — Present (2 years 10 months)
Provide services to enhance the Client's economics and safety to provide solutions to the Refining and Petrochemical industry, technology/optimization/energy conservationand operations including Project Management/Process Engineeing/starts and turn arounds and enhancing organization and work force capability
Senior Manager , Refinery Advisor
Technip USA
(Public Company; TKP; Oil & Energy industry)
2006 — 2007 (1 year )
Provide leadership and expertise in Refining business together with Business development
Director Strategic Business Development Refining Business area
GTC Technology LLP
(Privately Held; Chemicals industry)
2005 — 2006 (1 year )
Senior Technology Manager/BD Executive
ABB LUMMUS GLOBAL INC
(Public Company; CBI; Oil & Energy industry)
1988 — 2005 (17 years )
Consultannt
Jacobs
(Public Company; JEC; Oil & Energy industry)
January 1986 — March 1987 (1 year 3 months)
Worked on Lube refining and Polyol projecsts
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Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng’s Education
University of Surrey
Ph.D , Chemical Engineer , 1968 — 1973
Scindia Public School
High School ,
University of Surrey
Postgradute , Chemical Engineering
Activities and Societies:Chartered Engineer
C.Eng
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source: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rht2006
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LinkedIn Group Discussion
What would be good alternative for Delayed Coking Unit in a refinery scheme? Feedstock is vacuum residue or slurry from FCC.
Teymur = 2 months ago

Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng • Stefan you are right as one wants from conversion process is product in gasoline/diesel or gas oil to get best ROI.
But the question is what the alternative to Delayed Coking is and I guess the premise is to lower in cost than Delayed Coker.
As we all know the most competitive refinery capacity is at least 300, 000 bbls/d refinery or higher. But all the refiners do not have financing capability to build refinery for that capacity and complexity also will drive the cost up. So Refiners have to build what they can afford not based only ROI.
But I think the question s what are alternative

Dr. Amarjit Bakshi, C.Eng • REINSERTED RESPONSE
Dr. Amarjit Bakshi • Most of the alternatives have been provided above in the comments from the experts. The major requirements after that one has to do the linear programming to look at the economics of the options. Even after the economics one has to look at the constraints of the financing and debt what the corporation is comfortable with.
Based on experience if financing/debt and cost control is major criteria, it can be easily point to certain options.
The Option of SDA and RESID FCC (if existing FCC can be revamped to high coke option) is a good one based on the required product slate. Otherwise still the other options are SDA and gasified where one can produce syngas and generate power, other option is to use syn gas to onvert to valuable fuel like diesel etc.
Another option is SDA and Coking operation with new technology of Rotary kiln technology which much simpler to operate.
As regards to Flexicoking it is site specific and normally not profitable and optimum technology except in exceptional case. This technology is offered by EXXONMOBIL and mostly used by them at about 6 or 7 refineries. One license was sold to Hellenic in 2008 and could be site specific or was not evaluated properly by the Hellenic as justification was not strong for low BTU gas. This also was very expensive option.
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GOOGLE PATENTS
Apparatus for conducting exothermic reactions
US Pat. 5792428 - Filed May 20, 1996 - Chemical Research & Licensing Company
Amarjit S. Bakshi; Timothy P. McGuirk; JC Gupta; Thomas Koval. all of Houston,
Tex. [73] Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company. Pasadena, Tex. ...
Process for the preparation of ETBE
US Pat. 5248836 - Filed Oct 16, 1992 - Chemical Research & Licensing Company
28, [54] PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF ETBE [75] Inventors: Amarjit Bakshi, The
Hague, Netherlands; Edward M. Jones, Jr., Friendswood; Bobby A. Strain ...

Etherification process
US Pat. 5919989 - Filed Jun 20, 1997 - Catalytic Distillation Technologies
6, [54] ETHERIFICATION PROCESS [75] Inventors: Amarjit Bakshi; Thomas P. Hickey,
both of Houston, Tex. [73] Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies, ...

Method for conducting exothermic reactions
US Pat. 6335473 - Filed Sep 8, 2000 - Catalytic Distillation Technologies
... 2002 (54) METHOD FOR CONDUCTING EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS (75) Inventors: Amarjit
S. Bakshi; Timothy P. McGuirk; JC Gupta; Thomas Koval, all ol Houston, ...

Process for the production of gasoline stocks
US Pat. 7273957 - Filed Oct 29, 2004 - Catalytic Distillation Technologies
... United States Patent Bakshi et al. (io) Patent No. ... Jr 260/673 208/255
208/46 Inventors: Amarjit S. Bakshi, Houston, TX (US); Mitchell E. Loescher, ...

[APPLICATION] Process for ultra low sulfur gasoline
US Pat. 10295706 - Filed Nov 15, 2002 - CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
25, 2004 (54) PROCESS FOR ULTRA LOW SULFUR GASOLINE (75) Inventor: Amarjit S.
Bakshi, Katy, TX (US) Correspondence Address: KENNETH H. JOHNSON PO BOX ...

[APPLICATION] Sweet microwave popcorn product and method for production thereof
US Pat. 10475284 - Filed Mar 29, 2002
... CA (US); Amarjit S Bakshi, Yorba Linda, CA (US); Caroline Ponting, Yorka
Linda, CA (US) Correspondence Address: Gary D Lueck Bingham McCutchen Floor ...

[APPLICATION] Biodiesel process : RHT-Biodiesel
US Pat. 11540180 - Filed Sep 29, 2006 - Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
Date: Apr. 24, 2008 (54) BIODIESEL PROCESS : RHT-BIODIESEL (75) Inventor:
Amarjit Singh Bakshi, Katy, TX (US) Correspondence Address: AMARJIT SINGH BAKSHI

[APPLICATION] Multistage catalytic process for olefin etherification
US Pat. 11400846 - Filed Apr 10, 2006
Date: May, 2007 (54) MULTISTAGE CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR OLEFIN ETHERIFICATION (76)
Inventor: Amarjit Singh Bakshi, Katy, TX (US) Correspondence Address: ...

[APPLICATION] Low temperature low cost sulfuric acid alkylation process
US Pat. 11400845 - Filed Apr 10, 2006 - Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
... Al Bakshi (43) Pub. Date: Aug. 23, 2007 Novel Mixing Device Reactor details
... Katy, TX (US) Correspondence Address: AMARJIT SINGH BAKSHI REFINING ...

[APPLICATION] Low cost selective Octene process : RHT-Octene
US Pat. 11540179 - Filed Sep 29, 2006 - Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
Date: Apr. 3, 2008 RHT Octene Process (54) LOW COST SELECTIVE OCTENE PROCESS :
RHT-OCTENE (75) Inventor: Amarjit Singh Bakshi, Katy, TX (US) Correspondence ...

[APPLICATION] Low cost high yield Iso-octene/ Isooctane process with capability to revamp ...
US Pat. 11454044 - Filed Jun 15, 2006 - Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC
... Al Bakshi (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 20, 2007 RHT Iso-Octene Process ... WITH
CAPABILITY TO REVAMP THE MTBE UNITS (75) Inventor: Amarjit Singh Bakshi, Katy,
...
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