Smith & Burgess is proud to announce that two members of our Human Resources team were recognized at the Houston Business Journal’s 2025 HR Impact Awards:

• Destiny Arredondo, Sr. HR Generalist – HR Leader of the Year (Small Business)
• Mariah Ramirez, HR Coordinator – HR People to Watch

The Houston Business Journal’s HR Impact Awards honor professionals who are setting the standard in human resources—recognizing leaders who drive forward-thinking policies, foster inclusive workplace cultures, and create strategies that improve employee satisfaction and organizational success.

No two crude oils are alike, and that variability has real implications for process safety and refinery operations. Differences in composition, blending, and sourcing can significantly influence relief and flare system design requirements, tank farm behavior, and overall plant performance. As refiners adapt to shifting global supply chains, environmental regulations, and economic pressures, understanding how crude slate variability affects system performance is critical to maintaining safe, efficient, and compliant operations.

This blog highlights key findings from a recent Smith & Burgess presentation, “Scenarios in Refinery Blending & Operational Impact,” led by Co-Founders and Principal Consultants John Burgess, P.E. and Dustin Smith, P.E.