Eugene Pitout

Eugene has over 18 years’ work experience mostly in project controls undertaking the roles of both cost management and project planning. He has considerable experience in large EPCM programs for clients in both the public and private sector related to oil, gas, mining, rail, port and infrastructure. His value-added qualities lean towards planning and setting up control systems over multiple projects by using practice standards and client specified requirements. Eugene has gone through the lifecycle of conceptual level initiatives through to detail execution and shutdown planning and his core strengths is to ensure that the information stay relevant to the business objectives both in content and presentation. 

He also has substantial experience in managing the dependencies between various departments, disciplines and teams around the world ensuring that the execution of the work is aligned to the project strategy and meets the end user objectives in terms of timing. Overall, Eugene keeps a high-quality standard and deliver effective controls for all Clients.

SUMMARY

Eugene has over 18 years’ work experience mostly in project controls undertaking the roles of both cost management and project planning. He has considerable experience in large EPCM programs for clients in both the public and private sector related to oil, gas, mining, rail, port and infrastructure. 

GABON AFRICA, HATCH – SENIOR PLANNER 

Eugene was appointed by Hatch as Senior Planner to develop the initial Rio Tinto lithium project schedule in Serbia as well as the Anglo Platinum refurbishment schedule in South Africa. He then moved over to become a Program Manager for Hatch’s client Eramet/Comilog who is situated in Gabon Africa. Comilog is expanding their mining operations with additional deposits, infrastructure and mining facilities to increase their production to 15mtpa (these include Dry Mining Crushing units, Modular Washing Plants, Overland Conveyors, Utility infrastructure, Rail, Stackers and Loadout Stations). Eugene is managing the initial 10-billion-rand Greenfields project on site in central Gabon and overseeing various brownfields projects situated at the coast of Gabon. He is working closely with the owners’ team to ensure that the interdependencies between the projects are aligned and that the business objectives are being met in terms of timing. He has a planning support team reporting monthly on the progress and status of each project where he collectively reports on the overall status and outcome to deliver the planned 15mtpa. He also gives direction to the planning architecture, methods and requirements for each project to ensure that the information is conveyed promptly to the Eramet board in Paris.

SOUTH AFRICA, MOTT MACDONALD – PROJECT CONTROLS LEAD

Eugene has undertaken the project controls leadership role for the Africa unit since April 2017. He was mainly responsible for the overall delivery of Project Controls, including estimating, cost management, planning and scheduling, information management, project accounting, trend and change management, evaluation, and project reporting. He primarily executed the Group initiatives by developing and implementing procedures and processes. Eugene’s attribution towards Mott MacDonald was evident from “3D” BIM development through to “6D” monitoring and controlling using Mott MacDonald’s latest management applications such as SharePoint, Power BI, Planner, Bentley Deliverables Management and other Web portals. He provided inputs during the tendering, setting up, development and execution of various energy, mining, building and infrastructure projects around the world. These successful projects include Total Uganda, PART Kuwait, MMIL Mauritius, Lesotho Highlands, Eskom and Transnet South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA, SASOL – PLANNING SPECIALIST

Eugene undertook a planning advisory role for the Sasol Synfuels Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Project. The E&I (Stefanutti Stocks) works were sub-contracted from the SMEIP contract with an option E under the NEC conditions. He executed a level 5 control schedule to ensure the productivity of all tasks are being maintained during the SMEIP installation and commissioning period. This interface with the SMP contractor required close monitoring of earned progress against the construction hours originally planned for on Site. He provided assurance to both the SMP contractor and Sasol Synfuels Client that all possible measures are being taken to control the cost in accordance with the tight schedule. Weekly change management was a key factor in the communicational success to resolve trends and issues towards all stakeholders.

UNITED ARABIC EMIRATES (UAE), EGA – SENIOR PLANNER

Eugene was appointed as the Lead Planner in the UAE office to assist with the planning requirements and oversee the various project. He also took on a Brown Field Power and Steam integration project estimated at $800m. Al Taweelah alumina refinery, having a total budgeted project cost of approximately $3.3 billion, is the first in the UAE and only the second in the Middle East. He was responsible for planning and development of an execution strategy to procure and construct the required facilities within a constricted time frame, meeting operational demands. The Project consisted of a large gas turbine, heat recovery system generator and various water & steam management facilities to provide electricity and steam for EGA’s Al Taweelah aluminium smelter and improves the alumina refinery’s overall energy efficiency. He compiled a complete integrated project schedule which was managed from the UAE site office with a remote Engineering team located in Mississauga and India. During this time, he ensured that they achieve suitable alignment between bids in the marketplace and the project tight deadlines. He also managed construction early works concurrently to report monthly progress and schedule integration with operations.

SOUTH AFRICA, RIO TINTO – PLANNER

End of 2014 Eugene was seconded to Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) on site to complete a successful Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility Study for the building of a Process Plant and surrounding infrastructure (40km Pipeline and Road works). This Greenfield Project derived with many business initiatives to cope with the fluctuations in global commodity demands and political interlinks. Alternative options and mine methods with capital constrains were part of the never-ending planning dynamics. Cost control and scheduling formed a major responsibility to obtain control between the interdependence of all stakeholders including Governmental and Community approvals. Eugene kept a close relation with the client and his motivated ambitions which contributed to the successful delivery of these studies. Detail site planning also included existing exploration drilling, sampling, and building of homesteads for the local community prior execution.

In the Hatch Johannesburg office, he developed an integrated program both for EPCM and owners’ team to encompass a suit of projects under the existed Rio Tinto scope of work. This included the planning and preparation pre-feasibility studies for the overall mining process plant and surrounding infrastructure in both Port and Rail. Part of the mandate were to implement and build two pilot plants in Madagascar with various contractors appointed. With inputs from a site planner, Eugene managed the overall construction programme through to commissioning and close-out.

Qualifications:

National Senior Certificate for Accounting, Mathematic, English, Science & Mechanical.

Advance Primavera P6 with Oracle, Project Controls, Cost Engineering and Estimating with Elpavo Consultancies 

Goals

PMI-PMP to be complete by Q4 2023

Cost Management Accounting Degree to be complete by 2026.