Baytown Exxon Olefins Plant will be expanding both its Baytown plant and Mont Belvue plant beginning in mid 2013, as will Enterprise LLC right across the ship channel with it's plant.

There's a huge shortage of trades people, particularly certified welders, pipelineers, electricians, fitters and some laborers for the constructio/expansion phase.
According to the local TV news reports, most will be non-union jobs, with pay for welders and electricians running around $100/hr.
Between the 3 plant expansions, an estimated 4700 permanent jobs will be available as well in plant operations.

4 new motel complexes are beng planned to house construction crews.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Baytown Exxon Olefins Plant will be expanding both its Baytown plant and Mont Belvue plant beginning in mid 2013, as will Enterprise LLC right across the ship channel with it's plant. There's a huge shortage of trades people, particularly certified welders, pipelineers, electricians, fitters and some laborers for the constructio/expansion phase. According to the local TV news reports, most will be non-union jobs, with pay for welders and electricians running around $100/hr. Between the 3 plant expansions, an estimated 4700 permanent jobs will be available as well in plant operations. 4 new motel complexes are beng planned to house construction crews.

Yeah well, how about biscuit bakers? Some things require a professional touch.

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Ron
A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
So, what do ya think, are we there yet?

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 12-27-2012).]

15 years ago I would have jumped at this
Would have changed my life. Too old now to pack up and move

I'm curious about why they're expanding. Any background information on that? Either way, it's nice to hear some good economic news.

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: 15 years ago I would have jumped at this Would have changed my life. Too old now to pack up and move

as would I.

only thing is, what are the union welders gettting?



Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

My welding classes start Jan 17. I might miss this round but I'll be ready for the next! I don't really want to go 'on the road' following construction jobs but at least I'll have that option if there isn't anything close to home. We have talked about moving to Texas anyway. We'll see. I hope the future is good to us.

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: only thing is, what are the union welders gettting?

Sounds like the unemployment line.

If I even had a 1/3 of the knowledge/experience necessary for one of those positions, I'd be down there TONIGHT. Hell, if they would hire me as a gopher, I'd take it.

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: If I even had a 1/3 of the knowledge/experience necessary for one of those positions, I'd be down there TONIGHT. Hell, if they would hire me as a gopher, I'd take it.

Well then apply. Tell them you are very eager and that your are willing to get on your hands and knees and do whatever. A "real team player". Word it just like that too.

quote Originally posted by ls3mach: Well then apply. Tell them you are very eager and that your are willing to get on your hands and knees and do whatever. A "real team player". Word it just like that too.

Hands and knees... What?

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: Hands and knees... What?

If you want the job, you gotta learn to swallow some stuff you don't like

I WISH I made $100 an hour!!!

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: ... only thing is, what are the union welders gettting?

The same thing the non union welders are getting. Why should they get more ?
A newbie welder can join a union. That don't make him a welder. Welders down here, don't need a union. They are a union of brothers. The right to work works both ways.

quote Originally posted by 8Ball: I WISH I made $100 an hour!!!

I DO... I just wished every hour I was at work i got paid.. instead its every hour I am actually working I get $100/hour. Nothing's perfect.

The only way I make $100 an hour is if I am out of town, working double overtime.

But I do get paid for every hour I am AT work, not just every hour I am actually working


Good thing too!!!

quote Originally posted by cliffw: What are you lacking in the knowledge/experience department ? They all have helpers, could you handle that till you picked up the knowledge ?

The only knowledge I have of welding, pipelining, and fitting is what I have picked up from the Discovery Channel, Wikipedia and here(PFF). I have basic book knowledge of residential electrical, but no practical knowledge of residential OR commercial.

I would work as an assistant/gopher/helper for as long as it took me to learn the trade if someone would take me under their wing. I understand that those are trades that take many, many years to learn, and at 29, I am behind the 8-ball, but I would not be opposed to working my ass off to learn everything I could.

Where/who would I contact to apply?

Edit to add: Right now I work in IT for a major hospital conglomerate.

[This message has been edited by Rallaster (edited 12-27-2012).]

After welding for 15 years I moved to IT
welding is hard on you and at the time it wasn't paying anything like these wages.
I had all my mild steel and stainless 1/2 certifications in all positions but didn't get my pipe tests done before the job ran out. I don't think I would want to go back into welding at this point.
I wonder what they are paying their IT staff

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: ... Where/who would I contact to apply? ...

I need a life's change. Seriously. At 40, I have the knowledge and experience of a much older man, but the body of a much younger one. Time to grab some reigns!

Rallaster... want to be bunk buddies? Semi serious.

quote Originally posted by Tony Kania: I need a life's change. Seriously. At 40, I have the knowledge and experience of a much older man, but the body of a much younger one. Time to grab some reigns! Rallaster... want to be bunk buddies? Semi serious.

I'm going to talk with the missus tonight about the possibility of pursuing this. I'm really wanting to pursue this, but I can't just take a leap of faith with family that needs to be taken care of.

Even after they fill all these positions in Baytown, Welder/Fitter positions are a dime a dozen in Houston. I can think of three or four places off the top of my head within 20 minutes of where I live that almost ALWAYS have hiring signs for welders/fitters.

Yeah, it may be time to change my latitude. I need to take care of several things this morning, but I am going to look into this. I will post up any findings.

I had a job offer a little over a year ago to build communities for the North Dakota boom. I did not want to be away from Benjamin. Right now though, hindsight should have kicked me a little harder.

Too bad I am getting too old to do this kind of thing. I am an Industrial Electrician along with being several other things like a controls engineer (which I do now for retirement income), nuclear power plant operator and I can TIG weld very good. I hope some of you younger guys and gals can get some of these jobs and do a great job while making a lot of money. Glad someplace in this country is booming.

I'll keep my non-$100 an hour cushy office job with the Government and stay in the climate controlled bliss I know as my cubicle.

[This message has been edited by 8Ball (edited 12-27-2012).]

We will see if they can get by the environmentaly challenged protected agency. From what could find they are in the permit application phase only.

Wrong side of the border for me, anyway....and while all those kitchens and motels might need a tech to keep the stuff going and the people fed--I have had enough of that industry (and more importantly its people) to last me a lifetime.

$100/hr....forget it, I'd rather sort worms for 10...$500/hr might be close, and it'll cost ya $1,000 for me to give solutions over the phone--then $5,000 when I have to come out because ya didnt follow instructions.....

AND...if I have to listen to 10 minutes of cursing and swearing, being told how bad my equipment is and how stupid I am.....only to drive 3 hours and find out the machine is unplugged because THEY were trying to save on the electricity bill......thats gonna cost $250,000 !!!

If they dont like it....fix it themselves or go find somebody who will put up with their sheet.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: ...pay for welders and electricians running around $100/hr...

$100 an hour? Crack dealers don't make that. Boy, am I in the wrong line of work.

quote Originally posted by Rallaster: Where/who would I contact to apply?

I don't know. If I were to try, I would make phone calls, to find out ... to find out more information. Perhaps starting with the Exxon plants mentioned. I imagine there will be other positions available also, such as fork lift drivers, material management, other stuff. The best bet would be to case the joint, find out where the guys go to lunch or drink after work. Go there and make a friend. They will tell you anything that they know.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: There's a huge shortage of trades people ...

'Cause anyone who wants to work who is in Texas, can work.

quote Originally posted by BlackEmrald: Even after they fill all these positions in Baytown, Welder/Fitter positions are a dime a dozen in Houston. I can think of three or four places off the top of my head within 20 minutes of where I live that almost ALWAYS have hiring signs for welders/fitters.

Pipeline welders are also in big demand.

quote Originally posted by Zeb: $100 an hour? Crack dealers don't make that. Boy, am I in the wrong line of work.

Got to wonder if thats contract rate or if it includes benefits and health insurance. We were paying that for contract SQL DBA services but they didn't include any benefits.

Dunno Jake, I'll try to find out some specifics when my nephew returns from his Singapore tad assignment. He's a coat and tie type in management (safety and emissions) with exxon/mobil. If I had to venture an un-informed guess today, I would say contract, but it's been a lot of years since I worked a turn-around or expansion in the Baytown plant.
Full time permanent Exxon/Mobil blue collar employees btw, are union, and have been for at least 5 decades.

Yes, the expansion of this particular plant is a few months off yet. Wouldn't be much sense me posting after it was well under way and the jobs filled already. It is expected to get well underway by mid 2013 tho. And tho it could happen, I would be very very surprised to hear this expansion was denied by EPA or Dept of Energy. It's an expansion to produce more ethylene (plastics) products from natural gas instead of from crude.

quote ExxonMobil Chemical says plans world-scale cracker, PE plants in Baytown Houston (Platts)--1Jun2012/223 pm EDT/1823 GMT ExxonMobil Chemical plans to build a world-scale ethylene plant at its Baytown, Texas, olefins complex and two polyethylene units nearby as it takes advantage of low-cost feedstocks resulting from the shale gas boom, a spokeswoman confirmed Friday. "The multi-billion dollar project would include a new ethane cracker and premium product facilities at ExxonMobil's integrated Baytown complex in Texas to capitalize on abundant supplies of American natural gas," said the spokeswoman, Margaret Ross, in an email. ExxonMobil has already filed permit applications for the expansion, she said. Plans call for construction to begin by next March on a 1.5 million mt/year ethylene-capacity steam cracker at the Baytown complex, some 30 miles east of Houston, an area that is the heart of the US petrochemical industry. Start-up could come as early as 2016, ExxonMobil Chemical said in filings with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In addition, Houston-based ExxonMobil Chemical plans to build two polyethylene plants, each with a capacity of 650,000 mt/year, at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, 10 miles east of Baytown. The new polyethylene plants would use the ethylene feedstock provided by the new steam cracker. "This proposed expansion would enable ExxonMobil Chemical to economically supply the rapidly growing demand for high-value polyethylene products which are used in a wide range of consumer and industrial applications," Ross said. "ExxonMobil Chemical estimates exports could increase significantly as a result of the expansion." GREENFIELD PROJECTS ExxonMobil Chemical did not disclose a price tag on the proposed investment, describing it only as a multi-billion dollar project. The company expects required governmental reviews and approvals to take about a year. ExxonMobil Chemical will then make a final decision on the project, Ross said. ExxonMobil, the largest natural gas producer in North America, is counting on low-cost natural gas liquids -- ethane in particular -- as it seeks to cash in on the feedstock advantage the US chemical industry is expected to enjoy as a result of plentiful supply from shale gas drilling. "We believe the North American natural gas resource is abundant and can support both domestic energy needs as well as exports to the global market," Ross said. The company joins other chemical majors, including Dow Chemical, Shell Chemicals, Chevron Phillips Chemical and Formosa Plastics USA, in pursuing greenfield projects to expand ethylene and polymers production in the US. Other companies including Ineos, LyondellBasell, Williams, Westlake Chemicals and Nova Chemicals of Canada plan brownfield expansions, debottlenecks and/or retrofits to add ethane consumption capacity and increase ethylene production. If developed, the proposed expansions would increase US ethylene production by as much as 10.5 million mt/year, according to Platts estimates. "The proposed investment reflects ExxonMobil's continued confidence in the natural gas-driven revitalization of the US chemical industry," Ross said.

A little info about Baytown Texas:

http://www.baytown.org/business/ecodev

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 12-27-2012).]

My uncle works for Exxon, last I heard he had something to do with management but had retired then bought an old car and ran out of money and had to go back to work.
He welded for years so he may work in one of the shops.
I dont talk to him very often

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: My uncle works for Exxon, last I heard he had something to do with management but had retired then bought an old Fiero and ran out of money trying to keep it up and running and had to go back to work.

I fixed that for ya Jake.

BTW, most of the welding in these plants will be stainless, alum and other alloys. There is very little mild steel in a modern refinery of any production type. Everything has to be very resistant to corrosion, castics, alkalies and acids. It takes a very short time for some of these chemicals to cripple even a new plant, as was the case with Motiva in Port Author Texas earlier this year. A brand new plant shut down after only 5 weeks of operation, and the damage occurred in a span of only hours.

http://articles.chicagotrib...l-refinery-corrosion

I don't know jack about welding or electrical. Bummer. $100/hour is awesome money. I wonder if they need any permanent security type help? I have plenty of experience with that and I REALLY want to move south.

In 2011 I started as a green Pipefitter's helper at the age of 43. I knew absolutely nothing about the construction industry other than 18 years prior, I was studying Electrical Technology in tech school.

I went in making $9 something and when I got laid off in May of this year, I had workd my way up to $12.50/hour. While there, I saw kids practically right out of high school coming in as welders making $23/hour. When work didn't pick up, I decided to go to welding school. I'm 44 and I'll start class on Jan 17.

To go from helper to journeyman Pipefitter, you are supposed to have 4 years of experience. That isn't always necessary though. Pretty much all you have to do is have "enough" experience to say "I'm a fitter" when applying for the next job. If they hire you, you get journeyman Pipefitter pay. If they decide you're not up to the task, they'll drop you down to helper status. Even so, you won't be at the bottom of the pay scale.

Jonathan

Thanks Boostdreamer.

[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 12-28-2012).]

Remember, folks, in a plant like this, every weld has to be inspected, doesn't it? There's always quality inspector positions available right next to each welder. For instance:

http://mistrasgroup.com/employment/jobs/

Most of these positions require certification or training, but there must be some way to get "in".

Good luck to all.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Dunno Jake, I'll try to find out some specifics when my nephew returns from his Singapore tad assignment. He's a coat and tie type in management (safety and emissions) with exxon/mobil. If I had to venture an un-informed guess today, I would say contract, but it's been a lot of years since I worked a turn-around or expansion in the Baytown plant. Full time permanent Exxon/Mobil blue collar employees btw, are union, and have been for at least 5 decades. Yes, the expansion of this particular plant is a few months off yet. Wouldn't be much sense me posting after it was well under way and the jobs filled already. It is expected to get well underway by mid 2013 tho. And tho it could happen, I would be very very surprised to hear this expansion was denied by EPA or Dept of Energy. It's an expansion to produce more ethylene (plastics) products from natural gas instead of from crude. A little info about Baytown Texas: http://www.baytown.org/business/ecodev

Thanks! That helped my curiosity issues. Somebody will be making decent money!