Molecules and Mentors: Shikaar’s career at Astron Energy

Shikaar’s mantra is: fortune favours the brave. This is a philosophy he lives by, and what inspired him to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a career in refining.

“While I was growing up, my Dad worked in a refinery in Durban,” Shikaar explains. “But life wasn’t always easy for him or for us.”

Still, those early memories of his father coming home in overalls and explaining what he did at work that day sparked Shikaar’s curiosity. He learnt more while on a shadowing program at a refinery in Cape Town and decided to study chemical engineering. 

“I was introduced to the pivotal role that chemical engineers can play in refining – taking crude oil, which has little value, and transforming it into essential products using energy, pressure and chemistry,” Shikaar says. “I wanted to know exactly how it was done.”

Today Shikaar works at Glencore’s Astron Energy as a process engineer.
“Making sure that fuel supply meets demand is critical”, he explains. “From cars, to planes, to ships, refining crude oil to make different products that the transportation sector relies on is important for the global economy.”

Shikaar’s work involves monitoring the refining process to make sure everything is working correctly. He checks on the status of the refinery’s processing units, where crude oil is separated into various bi-products, and carries out field work investigations on site. 

“A refinery is like a chemical engineer’s playground. There’s always something new to learn,” Shikaar explains. “I perform quality checks, look at key performance indicators and help to troubleshoot any anomalies with our lab technicians. There are whole teams that rely on this analysis, so we must be accurate.”

Shikaar also plays a pivotal role in inspecting the refinery’s catalytic polymerization reactor. This needs to happen regularly, but it is no small undertaking. 

“Inspecting the reactor is considered a high-risk activity and so I don’t compromise on safety. We undertake a detailed risk assessment and once all checks have been completed and I am properly protected with the right PPE, I go into the reactor and conduct a detailed inspection for cleanliness and for any mechanical damage.”

Beyond his work, Shikaar is passionate about mentoring young engineers – a tradition that runs deep. 

“After I joined Astron Energy, I learnt that my dad also mentored and coached younger colleagues. These colleagues still remember him today, which just proves the impact that mentoring can have.”