Interview with Andrés Martín Patiño, Depisa Manager at the BP Oil Refinery in Castellón

How did you get started at Depisa, 37 years ago?

I started when I was 18, through my brother, who was then working for Depisa. My first jobs were as an operator with no experience, therefore I did a bit of everything: sweeping up, putting scaffolding up, and above all learning how to paint.

 

What do you recall from your first few days?

My first days in March 1978 were highly emotional for me. I was working in the same company as my brother. It was my first real job, so to speak. I still remember the first pipe I painted at PETROMED, as it was called back then – now the BP Oil refinery in Castellón.

 

How have you developed professionally? What roles have you undertaken?

Doing maintenance tasks, you need to learn all the time. I trained as an applicator, painter, blaster, spray painter, floor layer, etc. Little by little, I found myself managing small teams for certain projects. They sent me as Team Leader to Cartagena for jobs at the General Electric Plastics (now SABIC) plant. I’ve also spent time in Tarragona and Barcelona.

 

What is your current role?

I’m now the manager of all projects at the BP Oil Refinery in Castellón.

 

Have you worked on complex projects? Have you ever had to travel to other branches? Can you provide a couple of examples of difficult projects? How did you successfully complete them? 

Yes, as I was saying, I’ve had to move to Cartagena, Tarragona and Barcelona. However, the most complex projects I remember doing were in Valencia: painting 13 tanks and all the pipes in the TEPSA installations expansion, at the Valencia port, and the interior paintwork for the penstock at the IBERDROLA La Muela II power station at Cortes de Pallás, Valencia. Both projects were successfully completed, and I’m happy with my work as general works manager. For the first project, the main problem was the project’s size, and for the second, the difficulties came in the execution stage, as we were doing the interior painting of a 5.6-metre diameter pipe, inside a mountain, with a 45-degree tilt.

 

Depisa is now a leading company. What do you think has made Depisa a trusted partner for large companies in the sector?

I think it’s because of good project management, and the good service we provide in terms of quality and security.

 

Looking to the future, what does Depisa need to do to stay ahead of the field? What do customers want?

Continue showing the same commitment, security, standards and quality in the works we do, and towards customers. Customers know we’re here to help and provide solutions whenever needed.