Find out what things keep an NGL scheduler up at night and how you can be prepared to respond to unexpected supply chain disruptions.
They are on the front lines of daily logistics—the unsung heroes behind the scenes in the energy supply chain who get in early, stay late and typically work odd hours scheduling and coordinating daily and monthly product movements on assigned transportation modes, coordinate crisis management, monitor assigned NGL inventories, review receipts, deliveries, and exchange balances, to name a few. Who are we referring to? The day in the life of an NGL scheduler.
As more new pipelines get built to transport products from shale basins and trucks, rail, ships, and barges become increasingly relied on to transport crude oil, petrochemicals, and refined products to market, it’s important to revisit the basics of how NGLs move and the critical role that these schedulers play.
Patrick Martin, Senior Consultant in Opportune’s Process & Technology practice, gives a unique perspective on what his top concerns were during his time as an NGL scheduler at Enterprise Products Partners LP, what kept him up at night, and how you can better respond to unforeseen disruptions in the supply chain.
As you can see, as an NGL scheduler, Patrick was constantly worried about timing and customer service. It sounds easy until you factor in the reality of multiple modes of transportation and the unpredictability of the supply chain. It was during these times that Patrick needed to solve problems quickly and be creative about coming to those solutions that were mutually beneficial to his organization and, most of all, to his customers.
At Opportune, we not only hire talented individuals like Patrick, but we also implement systems to solve these problems. The greatest skill an NGL scheduler can have is visibility into inventory, logistics, supply, and demand. They need to be able to see options quickly so that problems can be solved efficiently. Opportune’s Logistics & Operations practice works closely to tackle these problems and help schedulers do what they do best—resolve supply chain issues.
Patrick Martin is a Senior Consultant in Opportune LLP’s Process & Technology practice based in Houston. Patrick has over six years of midstream scheduling/operations experience within the NGL trading and commercial development groups while working for Enterprise Products Partners. During his time at Enterprise Products, he worked with and built strong customer relationships with many oil and gas companies from supermajors like Exxon, Chevron, and Phillips 66 to trade shops such as Vitol and Trafigura. His operational skills include scheduling physical movements of NGLs via pipeline, trucks, railcars, and barges, while also handling the paper side of trades through well transfers and customer inventory account management. Patrick worked extensively with RightAngle to ensure trades were properly recorded and scheduled and exposures related to physical trades were reconciled with the risk department daily. Patrick graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA in Supply Chain Management.
When you choose Opportune, you gain access to seasoned professionals who not only listen to your needs, but who will work hand in hand with you to achieve established goals. With a sense of urgency and a can-do mindset, we focus on taking the steps necessary to create a higher impact and achieve maximum results for your organization.
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