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Day in the Life: Mark Stein
Caterpillar Oil and Gas is always striving for continued customer success. Our engineers help operators leverage advanced technology and cutting-edge innovations in an ever-evolving industry. Discover how Mark Stein, Senior Engineering Team Lead, leverages his decades of engineering experience to enhance our industry-leading solutions.
Q: WHERE ARE YOU FROM, AND WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE WITH CATERPILLAR?
I live in Peoria, Illinois, and Caterpillar has a major influence on our community. I’m now a senior engineering project team leader. I’ve been with the company for 25 years, and I’m excited to be able to work on innovative solutions each day.
Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY?
I’ve always loved understanding how things work, and that lifelong curiosity led me to study engineering. I attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and earned bachelor and master degrees in mechanical engineering. I also have an MBA from Bradley University.
I started working for Caterpillar after I graduated from college. I was eager to apply what I learned in my studies and challenge myself intellectually. The company offered many engineering opportunities across their product and service lines. I’ve had the chance to work with an array of technologies, which is thrilling for an engineer.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE AREAS AND PRODUCTS YOU’VE WORKED ON?
I’ve worked with on-highway truck engines, excavators, track-type tractors and more. For the past seven years, my primary focus has been oil and gas – specifically our Cat® 3500 engines. I currently work on diesel and Cat Dynamic Gas Blending™ (DGB) engines for the well services industry.
Q: HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY EVOLVE?
It’s been a dream to work in oil and gas, partly because the industry is very responsive to emerging needs and requirements. That constantly drives demand for new innovations, and every engineer wants to tackle new challenges on a consistent basis.
So much of engineering is about problem solving and finding ways to fill a need. At Caterpillar, I’ve witnessed a major shift across the industry toward addressing emissions, especially greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It’s driven by customer demands and the industry’s evolution. We’re always listening to our customers to better understand their needs and anticipate how advancements can help operators succeed.
Q: WHICH TECHNOLOGY IS THE ONE YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?
Working on the T4 3512E DGB engine represents one of my proudest accomplishments with my team. We take a very hands-on approach with testing and refining this industry-leading technology to achieve the highest quality.
DGB technology is truly a game-changer. It enables significant efficiency gains and savings on fuel costs for pressure pumping operators. At the same time, it also supports carbon reduction goals and delivers the same level of performance and reliability.
The advantages of using the T4 3512E DGB are clear. You can achieve an average diesel displacement of 65% up to 85% peak diesel displacement under certain conditions.1 As the rate of diesel displacement can vary depending upon site conditions, fuel cost savings can be estimated with such factors in mind with our online DGB Fuel Calculator. Best of all, the engine automatically optimizes performance by adjusting to changes in fuel quality and pressure. Delivering fuel flexibility enables oilfield companies to leverage the best mix of fuels based on their unique circumstances.
Q: WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
The oil and gas industry will be critical to supporting energy stability during the coming years, and lowering GHG emissions will continue to be a priority. Continued innovation will provide more emissions-lowering solutions while reducing operating costs and driving efficiency.
Q: HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I have four wonderful daughters, so that keeps me pretty busy. I love to watch movies, especially with my family, although my tastes differ slightly from my daughters’. Depending on the day, you might find me watching an action move or a drama, or maybe something like “Anne of Green Gables” or “Little Women” with my children. It’s also important to me to give back to my community, so I volunteer at my children’s school and I’m active in my church.
1Cat.com, “Well Service Engines, 3512E DGB Tier 4 Final”. https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/power-systems/oil-and-gas/well-service-engines/15970093.html
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