Get the Buzz... APM Gas Power Shines at Oleander!
The Job Details
In October, APM Gas Power mobilized to Oleander Plant in Cocoa, FL for a critical outage (Hot Gas Path, Mini Magic Inspection, Borescope & Auxiliary Work). Two teams of 12 craftspeople brought lessons learned from previous outages and showed up with one clear goal: Do it safely. Do it right. The first time.
From day shift to night shift, the crews delivered top-tier quality while keeping safety front and center—and turned the unit back over to the customer after 4,000+ hours on time and incident-free.
The STOP Moment That Mattered
Mid-outage, during a routine rotor inspection, the NDE team spotted a crack on a first-stage wheel space balance weight stake mark. That find triggered an immediate STOP.
Reassembly paused. Engineering, supervision, and craft aligned. A new plan was built—together—before moving forward.
APM Superintendents, Juan Mejia and Chris Baptista, emphasized the importance of early inspections:
“This shows how critical it is to conduct a thorough inspection of new and refurbished components before they are needed for installation, as well as ensuring replacement parts or hardware are available before any destructive measures are taken during disassembly”.
What Made This Team Stand Out
· Juan Mejia & Chris Baptista – Lead with safety-first thinking and quality-driven execution. They demonstrated excellent adaptability when the discovery of a cracked rotor, thrust bearing issues, and having to remove the CDC threatened the timeline. By strategically increasing shift manning from 9 to 12 people, they absorbed the additional scope and brought the project in on time, maintaining an excellent record for safety and quality.
· Sam Villar – Kept the crew safe, prevented damage, and reinforced procedure discipline.
· Jose Monserrate – Brought deep knowledge and went above and beyond.
· Christian Medina – Ensured the unit was properly set up and hardware-ready.
· Jeff Ball – Supported and coached team members across shifts.
· Aaron Stevenson – Shared knowledge freely and adapted quickly as priorities shifted.
This is just a few names from the many who contributed to the overall outage success. Every person on the job had a role to play in the outcome.
Safety That Showed Up Every Day
All 9 Life Saving Rules were actively used, with emphasis on Line of Fire, Mechanical Lifting, and Fire & Explosion Prevention.
The Bottom Line
Oleander showed what happens when preparation, teamwork, and speaking up come together. Kudos to the team on this remarkable victory!