Manuel specializes in process engineering in the oil refining sector. He actively contributes to various Equity Engineering Practices and has co-authored two technical articles in Equity Industry Insights.
He brings over thirteen years of experience from a PDVSA refinery in Venezuela, where he served as a Process Engineer and later as a Process Engineering Supervisor, overseeing gasoline and LPG production for domestic distribution. As Lead Process Engineering on the Technical Management Team, he optimized refinery yields through operational adjustments, rigorous monitoring heat and material balances, and field validations during major turnarounds to ensure compliance with technical standards. His earlier roles included executing process improvement initiatives and managing utilities and storage systems.
Following his tenure at PDVSA and prior to joining Equity Engineering, Manuel spent two years as the Procurement Manager for an oil and gas industry contractor, supporting pipeline construction and crude unit revamp projects. His responsibilities included supplier qualification, contract negotiation, material logistics, and coordination with engineering and construction teams to ensure cost-effective, timely delivery of critical equipment.
For his undergraduate thesis, Manuel synthesized a polymer designed to modulate bentonite clay binding in oil well drilling fluids. He employed viscosity-based techniques to determine molecular weight and evaluated its influence on suspension rheology. The synthesis was conducted using Dr. Taguchi’s experimental design methodology, controlling multiple reaction parameters. This work earned an Honorific Mention from the University Evaluating Committee.
