When Kory Judd was named general manager of the Chevron Richmond refinery in June 2013, he faced the greatest challenge of his career. The refinery was still dealing with the aftermath of its Aug. 6, 2012, fire, and Judd was tasked with restoring order and trust.
“Although I joined the refinery after August 2012, there was much we needed to do in order to earn back the trust of the community and the workforce,” Judd said. “This meant working and meeting directly with community members, leading the workforce to build morale and guiding the refinery to operate without incidents.”
Much has been learned and changed at the Chevron Richmond refinery since the August 2012 incident. The refinery now has a safety record Judd is very proud of, and it is gearing up for a multimillion-dollar modernization project. For the refinery modernization project, Chevron Richmond sought a permit in the middle of a very difficult environment, which included a community that was wary of the refinery after the incident and city council members who opposed it. The Chevron Richmond refinery was able to navigate successfully and received the permit earlier this year.
Judd is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally sound operation of the Chevron Richmond refinery. As the refinery’s general manager, Judd said it’s important for him to understand the refinery as a whole and how it fits into the overall portfolio of Chevron’s downstream business.
“I am responsible for understanding the complex equipment systems while ensuring the workforce can effectively do its job safely and reliably without incidents to deliver quality products,” he said. “This enables us to operate successfully without impact on our community. At the same time, I need to understand and ensure the refinery adheres to our industry’s rules and regulations. All of this ultimately translates into a successful business.”
The Chevron Richmond refinery, built in 1902 and located on 2,900 acres, is the largest of the five refineries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The refinery has the capacity to produce 257,000 barrels of crude oil per day and, on average, processes 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and lubricants. All of the refinery’s crude oil is received by ship and the majority comes from Alaska and the Middle East.
“The Chevron Richmond refinery is also the largest employer and taxpayer in Richmond, employing 2,400 employees and contractors,” Judd said. “Additionally, Richmond is also home to the Chevron Richmond Technology Center, which is located on 31 acres next to the refinery. The Richmond Technology Center employs 1,200 employees and contractors. The center has over 170 Ph.D. scientists who conduct groundbreaking energy research.”
Judd, a native of Price, Utah, graduated from the University of Utah in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He joined Chevron after graduation as a process engineer in its engineering technology department. Then, he transferred to the company’s refinery in Salt Lake City where he progressed through positions of increasing responsibility. In 2001, he made his first stop at the Chevron Richmond refinery as a business manager. He worked there for five years before joining the Pascagoula, Mississippi, refinery as its maintenance manager and then assumed the role of operations manager in 2007. Judd moved into a commercial role in 2009 as the general manager, Value Chain Optimization — Americas West. In 2013, he returned to the Chevron Richmond refinery as assistant refinery manager and was named general manager in June of that year.
Refinery modernization project
In July, the Richmond City Council voted to approve the refinery’s modernization project. The main project components include replacing a 1960’s hydrogen plant with more modern technology that is inherently safer, cleaner and 20-percent more energy efficient. According to Judd, the new plant will produce higher-quality hydrogen more efficiently and reliably.
The project will also give the refinery flexibility to process crude oil blends, including higher levels of sulfur while meeting strict environmental regulations. In addition, the project will be constructed with flanges, valves and other components that are consistent with Best Available Control Technology, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s standard for regulating air pollution under the U.S. Clean Air Act.
“The project as approved means a decrease in emissions, a safety program that far exceeds regulatory requirements, a $90 million investment in Richmond and 1,000 local construction jobs along with 1,300 related jobs,” Judd said.
Protecting the people, environment
The Chevron Richmond refinery places the highest priority on the health and safety of its workforce, neighbors and protection of the environment. Judd also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between personal and process safety.
“We learned many lessons from the August 2012 fire that sharpened our focus around process safety,” he said. “We continue to remain focused on personal safety and our workforce. I can say I’m truly proud of our safety record this year. We have hit many milestones and records with our total recordable incident rates and days away from work. However, no injury is ever acceptable and safety is always a priority at the refinery.”
There are two basic key principles everyone at the Chevron Richmond refinery must always follow:
- Do it safely or not at all.
- There is always time to do it right.
“When folks focus on these two key principles, we ensure there is an awareness of safety issues and performance that reduces the likelihood of injury or environmental incidents,” Judd said. “I tell my employees that on a winning team everyone counts.”
There are several programs implemented at the refinery to help ensure safety, which requires participation from every single person, Judd said. Some of the programs include:
- Process Safety Management — Ensures there are no process safety events or environmental incidents.
- Operational Discipline — Helps build the culture of ensuring every task, the right way, every time.
- Operational Excellence — A systematic approach that enables the refinery to implement key strategies to achieve zero injuries, zero loss of containment and zero environmental incidents along with high mechanical availability and 100-percent employee participation.
- Stop Work Authority — Using Stop Work Authority is everyone’s responsibility, and anyone can stop any operation without repercussions. In fact, Judd said the refinery rewards employees who effectively use Stop Work Authority to underscore the importance this simple tool can have on its operations and to ensure problems are addressed immediately.
- Loss Prevention Self-Assessment — Before beginning any activity or after a loss or near loss, employees must assess the risk, analyze how to reduce the risk and then act to ensure loss-free operations.
100-percent refinery participation
Judd emphasized Chevron Richmond is committed to investing in Richmond. The refinery partners with the community to support the local organizations and nonprofits that work tirelessly to make it a better place to live and work. Since 2009, Chevron Richmond has invested more than $580 million locally, creating jobs, helping local businesses and nonprofits, and paying taxes that fund essential services such as schools and public safety.
Specifically, Chevron Richmond supports opportunities for youth, education and economic development. Beyond these contributions, its employees also volunteer in the community, and last year the refinery’s employees volunteered approximately 2,000 hours. As a refinery leader, Judd sets an example with his employees and volunteers weekly, serving meals through the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program, a local homeless prevention organization.
“I strongly advocate for 100 percent of refinery employees to participate in the community in some capacity,” Judd said. “We want to continue to be a vital part of this community for years to come and work together with Richmond. That’s why we also have community programs like our Community Air Monitoring Program. Chevron, the City of Richmond and Argos Scientific teamed up to monitor air quality in Richmond, and to help make sure the air we breathe stays clean and safe. We have three fenceline air monitors and three community air monitors. Community members can log on to the website (www.fenceline.org/richmond) to look at the data in real time and access a 30-day report.”
When Judd isn’t at the refinery, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking in the mountains, fishing and playing the guitar. “I have five children and six grandkids,” Judd said. “They consume a fair amount of time. My wife and I are pretty active in supporting our kids.
