Technologist 2 - Capacity Planning

Responsibilities

• Prepares capital plans for distribution assets, including but not limited to transmission pressure laterals, stations (TP/IP, TP/DP, IP/DP), intermediate pressure lines, and distribution piping, by:
  • Obtaining long-term demand forecasts;
  • Allocating gas load growth to areas;
  • Tracking actual against forecast demand growth and identifying any variance;  
  • Identifying system capacity shortfalls;     
  • Developing long-term capital improvement alternatives;
  • Performing hydraulic analyses;
  • Performing cost-of-service analyses;
  • Identifying the long-term least cost of service options;
  • Documenting long-term capital improvement recommendations, and;
  • Developing and documenting detailed 5-year capital plans and budgets. 
• Responds to routine and emergency operational requests/inquires in an efficient and professional manner by:
  • Performing hydraulic analyses to confirm distribution pipe sizing for Main Construction Orders and Service Header Orders;
  • Performing hydraulic analyses to determine system improvement requirements (size, location, cost, timing) for Load Information Memos, and document findings, and; 
  • Identifying customers affected by system damage, and sizing emergency bypass 
  • Identifying shutdown window, sizing bypass and reviewing system hydraulics for planned  Operations and Maintenance procedures.
• Creates, updates, and verifies distribution models using steady state analyses and reviews models with Operations personnel by:
  • Creating or updating distribution hydraulic models;
  • Verifying accuracy of hydraulic models against actual system data by means of winter  load analysis and pressure survey.
  • Reviewing past winter capacity shortages. 
• Provides professional services to internal clients by:
  • Performing hydraulic analyses to determine the sizing of customer piping and the feasibility of proposed operational procedures, and;
  • Identifying emergency sectionalization areas.
• Participates in annual preview of winter operations by:
  • Performing hydraulic analyses to confirm operability of current distribution assets, and level of service, to interruptible customers for the peak demand period, and; 
  • Preparing and presenting distribution system capacity status and operational plans to Operations personnel. 
• Assists manager and engineers in supporting internal clients by:
  • Developing long-term alternatives for Transmission Pipeline laterals based on client requirements;
  • Establishing level of service to interruptible customers;
  • Performing hydraulic analyses and summarizing results, and;
  • Performing cost-of-service analyses to identify the long-term least cost of service option.
• Provides input to the preparation of engineering specifications for the hydraulic design of distribution assets, and by updating and reviewing standards.
• Maintains liaison with various personnel inside and outside the company to ensure appropriate and timely acquisition of necessary data, and to ensure appropriate levels of services to the department’s clients. 
• Maintains the data and records associated with the job functions.
• Assist other Technologists in preparing plans and conducting analyses for Distribution assets.
• Performs additional duties related to the above duties, including driving a vehicle, which do not affect the rating of the job. 

Requirements

• Completion of Applied Sciences Technologist and Technicians of British Columbia (‘ASTTBC’) recognized post-secondary technologist diploma program in gas and petroleum, civil, mechanical; or related technology that included course instruction on fluid flow fundamentals
• Certified at the technologist level by the Applied Sciences Technologist and Technicians of British Columbia.
• Minimum of two (2) years directly related work experience in System Capacity Planning.
• Full understanding of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics properties and behaviours of natural gas and other related organic hydrocarbon products.
• Understanding the Distribution operations of TP laterals, IP lines, DP systems, and stations.
• Understanding of midstream gas supply, transportation service functions and rules of TP laterals as well as of commercial terms and conditions of large industrial and transportation service contracts. 
• Full literacy of computer hydraulic simulation of distribution assets and its components inclusive of pipeline systems, distribution systems, compressor stations, and control devices in steady state.   
• Strong computer skills in applications in use in the department, and skills with general office software applications.  Programming/scripting skill is desired. 
• Analytical skills, attention to detail, decision-making skills.
• Ability to produce plans and analyses with minimal coaching.
• Valid British Columbia Driver’s license.