Marc McConnell, P.E.: About the Author
Metallurgy and Fixed Equipment Engineering Coordinator, Versa Integrity Group
Marc McConnell has more than 30 years of crude oil refining experience as a maintenance/reliability corrosion engineer, process engineer, project engineer, project manager, mechanical integrity expert, and business manager. He is an active member of several industry groups, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, and the American Petroleum Institute, where he has stewarded key initiatives. Marc teaches both NACE and API related courses in the US and internationally, and is recognized globally as an expert in asset integrity. Marc is currently the Chair of API 939C Sulfidation and API 970 Corrosion Control Documents.
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Published Articles
 | May/June 2017 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group, and Tracey Maloney at Versa Integrity Group The "simple" process of PWHT is more complicated than it may appear at first glance. Knowledge of the procedures, attention to details, and actual experience are indispensable in preventing failures caused by improper PWHT. |
November/December 2016 Inspectioneering Journal By Grady Hatton at Versa Integrity Group, and Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group The concept of reducing Condition Monitoring Locations (CMLs) is misguided, and the number and location of CMLs should be OPTIMIZED, not systematically reduced. CML allocation in piping requires a good process, otherwise, you can run into a lot of dead ends before arriving at your intended destination. |
 | September/October 2015 Inspectioneering Journal By Nolan L. Miller at SASOL North America, and Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group If we could measure, understand, mitigate, and most importantly, control corrosion, we can do a better job of keeping the product in the pipes. To accomplish this task, we needed to know what is causing the corrosion and how to control it. |
 | November/December 2014 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group, Jeannie Beth Richey at Sasol North America, Inc., and Josh Yoakam at Holly Refining and Marketing - Tulsa, LLC The role of an API inspector is rapidly changing. Necessary skills for success have transformed as technology, standardization, and regulations have become part of the way of life. |
 | July/August 2014 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group, David Jordan at CVR Energy, and Grady Hatton at Versa Integrity Group One difficulty new company inspectors typically have is becoming comfortable in their new role. This is due to the fact that they have received little guidance about where they fit in with the "team." Where are they on the organization chart? |
 | March/April 2014 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group, Gerrit M. Buchheim, P.E. at Becht Engineering Co., Inc., and Josh Yoakam at Holly Refining and Marketing - Tulsa, LLC High temperature sulfidation is probably the most well- known corrosion mechanism in the oil refining industry because it occurs in large sections of the refinery. |
 | January/February 2014 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group, Josh Yoakam at Holly Refining and Marketing - Tulsa, LLC, and Frank Dean at Ion Science, Ltd. This is the second of two articles published in Inspectioneering Journal discussing the value of hydrogen bake-outs. Our first article was published in the May/June 2013 issue and received a great response from the Inspectioneering community. In this piece, we will continue the discussion and touch on some new technologies used to enhance the bake-out process. |
 | Blog December 30, 2013 By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group On November 19, 2013, API issued project/document number 970 for an entirely new Recommended Practice (RP). The scope of this project will be to develop a work process and a standardized approach to the development of Corrosion Control Documents (CCDs) that will apply to the most common refinery process units. |
Blog December 16, 2013 By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group Being a member of the API ICP, for several years, I know that we are continuously working improve our products. This year was exceptionally productive for us. |
Blog August 5, 2013 By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group At PinnacleAIS, we often get requests for a Senior API Inspector. But what does that mean exactly? What qualifications are required? Is there a test or a certification that provides the end user with assurance they are getting a higher caliber inspector or inspection service? Often there are different ideas of what comprises a "Senior" Inspector. |
 | July/August 2013 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group Who at your facility “owns” injection point hardware? Typically, injection point hardware falls into the “Gray Zone”. |
 | May/June 2013 Inspectioneering Journal By Marc McConnell, P.E. at Versa Integrity Group With 30 years of refinery experience, I have been through many turnarounds and been involved with a lot of repairs. When I started in the business, we would have inspectors that “owned” their specific pieces of equipment. |
