PBF Energy recently acquired the Martinez refinery on an 860-acre site in the City of Martinez, California, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. This dual-cooking facility has a capacity of 157,000 barrels per day and is one of the most complex refineries in the United States. Its strategic location in Northern California allows for operational synergies with Torrance Refinery in Southern California.
Apart from the refining assets, the project covered various logistics assets on-site, such as a deep-water marine facility, product distribution terminals, and refinery crude and product storage facilities, with a total shell capacity of around 8.8 million barrels. PBF views the purchase of the Martinez refinery as a significant strategic move in expanding its operations on the West Coast. When working on this energy project, VEC’s biggest task was ensuring the proper performance of all mechanical systems, despite the enormous size and age of the facility.
VEC’s tech specialists were crucial to the PBF Martinez Refinery project from 2021–2022. Our team provided mechanical and plumbing BIM & VDC services which involved constructability review & routing optimization, prefabrication planning, 3D mechanical modeling & coordination, and shop & installation drawings development. To guarantee high-caliber efficiency, we collaborated closely with the client as well as Shultz, a well-known construction service provider to oil refiners in California.
Our critical goal was to meet the installers’ needs during the design process. We created valid constructability markups and delivered robust routing optimizations, which were essential for developing feasible models and drawings. An added benefit to VEC’s services was helping the client save resources during the construction phase by providing plans for prefabrication, which was among the key pros VEC offered.
Our electrical BIM & VDC services cover power, lighting, and telecom system modeling. Also, the VEC team created a thorough BIM Execution Plan and shared it with all stakeholders to provide them with the correct understanding and management of relevant BIM deliverables.
Meanwhile, 3D systems’ models are vital to ensure their proper performance after construction due to the opportunity to detect and eliminate clashes quickly. That also strengthens project coordination as all parties get these 3D models and realize how the systems will be constructed on-site. After all, creating a unique environment that will offer student-centered learning is only possible with valuable BIM data and efficient cooperation between all contractors.
VEC’s specialists deliver exceptional civil underground services for this educational project. They encompass various tasks such as 3D modeling, project management, BIM coordination, civil underground wet & dry (VDC), and onsite technology work. We have effectively utilized BIM software solutions such as Revitzo, Revit, and Navisworks throughout the project.
Our experts promptly document all design-related issues using PDF Markups and propose relevant solutions, including fittings and pipe length adjustments. Besides, we have created installation drawings to ensure accurate implementation in alignment with the plans. Lastly, our team performed essential tasks such as 3D laser-scanning, reporting on deviations from the current conditions, developing as-built models and drawings, identifying clashes, etc.
"It's amazing how fast and how much the bluff has receded over the last year. To capture and analyze this data opens my eyes to what this technology can be used for."
"It was a pleasure working alongside AECOM to analyze the corrosion of the bluff using Laser scanning Technology and Drone Photogrammetry. The data we captured is essential as it will provide insight into the stability and safety of the bluff."