1. ROBERT E. KENT
326 Cape Cod Office (832)-486-5524
Corpus Christi, Texas 78412 Home (361)-980-1596
E-mail: kentbob@yahoo.com Cell (361)-816-4585
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
REK Energy, LLC 2012 – Present
President – Corpus Christi, Texas (June 1, 2012 to Present)
This company provides assistance and problem solving to a wide variety of downstream refining and petrochemical
companies throughout the world. This assistance and problem solving ranges from economic, market, and technical
evaluations of new or incremental capacity additions to development and implementation of specific business strategies
while helping to improve operational, business and management systems to reduce operating cost, improve reliability, and
increase gross margin.
Clients include major oil companies, multinational companies, independent refiners, private investors, research
organizations, and national oil companies in the US, Asia, South America, Europe, and the Caribbean.
Example projects include a leading a multi-year refinery configuration study up to and including FEED for a 170 MBPD
high conversion refinery and world scale polypropylene plant for Vung Ro Petroleum in Vietnam, assisting PDVSA in the
management and eventual disbursement of their joint venture refineries in St.Croix (Hovensa) and Chalmette, LA, and
helping CITGO Petroleum to close on the Valero refinery in Aruba.
CITGO REFINING and CHEMICAL COMPANY 1999 – 2012
Executive Vice President of Refining – Houston, Texas (January, 2009 – May 31, 2012 - Retired)
This position is responsible for the business and operations of the three CITGO refineries (combined capacity of 820,000
BPD and 2,500 employees), the Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) Group, the CITGO capital
investment program, and the Supply Chain system in Houston. CITGO has the highest percentage of Coking capacity
relative to crude oil capacity in the US. This position reports to the CEO and Chairman of the Board and is also a
member of the Risk Management and Benefits Planning Committees. Responsibilities included representing PDV, the
parent company of CITGO, on the Operating and Executive committees of their Hovensa and Chalmette joint ventures
with Hess and Exxon Mobil respectively.
Vice President and Refinery Manager – Lake Charles, Louisiana (2007 – 2008)
This position is responsible for managing all aspects of CITGO’s 420,000 BPD heavy crude, high conversion refinery and
the 9,500 BPD Lubricants plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This position reports to the Executive Vice President of
Refining.
Vice President and Refinery Manager – Lemont (Chicago), Illinois (2006 – 2007)
This position is responsible for managing all aspects of CITGO’s 170,000 BPD heavy crude, high conversion refinery in
Lemont, Illinois. This position reports to the Executive Vice President of Refining.
General Manager - Planning and Lubricants Business Leader - Houston, TX (5 months in 2006)
This position, which reported directly to the COO, was responsible for two specific planning activities within CITGO that
were completed in 2006. The first was to manage CITGO’s interest in the sale of their 42% interest in the LCR refinery
in Houston that was ultimately sold to Lyondell Basell for a record high price per unit of capacity. The second was to
develop and gain board approval for an improved go-forward strategy regarding CITGO’s $500 MM/yr lubricants
business.
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2. General Manager - Technology and Administration - Corpus Christi, TX (2001 – 2006)
This position is responsible for acquisition of crude oils and other feedstocks as well as the optimized disposition of
products for the Corpus Christi refinery. In addition, this position is accountable for the refinery capital investment
program (2006 budget $154 MM), the daily optimization of refinery operations, and other administrative duties at the
refinery. It includes a staff of over 80 people, primarily degreed engineers. The Corpus Christi refinery processes over
220,000 BPD and is considered a very well run, high conversion refinery including a 43,000 BPD delayed coking unit,
processing very heavy, sour crude oils and producing a highly valued product slate including petrochemicals.
Special Projects – Corpus Christi, TX (1999 – 2001) Participated in corporate team to improve CITGO’s supply chain.
Also led CITGO’s efforts to quantify the benefits and to develop a strategy to acquire a neighboring refinery in Corpus
Christi, TX..
KOCH INDUSTRIES INC., Wichita, Kansas 1979 – 1999
A multi-national conglomerate with revenues in excess of $30 billion. Holdings in oil and gas, chemicals, refined
products, agriculture, chemical technology products, minerals and capital markets.
Vice-President Planning, Koch Refined Products – Wichita, KS (1997 – 1999)
Responsible for leading the short-term planning and business operation, including P/L, for the South Texas business.
Led the successful efforts to reduce SG&A, reorganized the light products organization and established an integrated
business team approach, including operations, trading and marketing. Also pushed the planning horizon out farther
and established a more systematic and disciplined approach in securing and financially managing crude oils and other
feedstocks for the refinery and associated chemical plant.
Vice-President Supply Strategies and Logistics, Koch Supply and Trading - Wichita, KS (1995 – 1997)
Responsibilities included mid and long-term refinery crude oil and feedstock supply strategies, logistics, and the day-
to-day optimization and feedstock selection activities for both the Pine Bend and Corpus Christi refineries. Duties
included creating profits at the interface between crude trading and refining. Worked with traders, the asset and an
LP based system to create, identify and capture new sources of value in the market.
Technical Manager, Koch Refining - Corpus Christi, TX (1992 – 1995)
Responsible for enabling the technical organization to add the maximum possible value to the business units that
make up the petroleum refinery and aromatic petrochemical complex at Corpus Christi. This refinery includes a
single coking unit. Capital projects averaged $150 million per year. Responsible for over 100 professionals,
primarily engineers.
Vice-President Commercial Development and
General Manager Specialty Chemicals, Koch Chemical Company (1989 - 1992)
Assisted senior management in identifying, evaluating and capturing capital project and acquisition opportunities in
aromatic based petrochemicals and related businesses. P/L responsibility for the $50 million (sales) per year
Specialty Chemical business.
Manager of Crude Oil, Refining, and Chemical Projects, Koch Industries (1986 – 1989)
Supported profit centers by helping to understand key trading and industry relationships that led to trading strategies
and to capital projects totaling over $300 million including a significant coking expansion at St. Paul refinery.
Identified, evaluated and negotiated several key acquisitions.
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Engineer, Koch Refining - St. Paul, MN (1979 – 1985)
Held various process engineering, economic and management positions including process technology support for the
delayed coking unit and later responsibility for daily feedstock, product and plant operating configuration decisions at
3. the Pine Bend refinery. Used an LP system for the daily decisions and also for the identification, economic analysis
and justification of capital projects.
CHEVRON, Richmond, California 1978 – 1979
Research Engineer, Chevron Research Company
Responsible for process evaluation and design of various refinery and chemical processes worldwide.
OTHER
Three years of high school German
Several years of Spanish at the local community college and with PDVSA
Member NPRA Board of Directors – active on several committees including Manufacturing, Issues, and Process Safety.
Professional Engineer registered in the State of Minnesota.
Active with several non-profit and volunteer agencies supporting our local communities
Public speaker at Industry, Community, and Company events with very positive reviews.
Completed 2011 New York Marathon
References available as requested.
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota - Carlton School of Business- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Masters – Business Administration - Finance 1984
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin
Bachelor of Science – Chemical Engineering 1978