NORCO – Leadership changes are in store for Motiva Norco Refining now that Motiva Norco Refinery Manager Allen Kirkley has accepted a position as Vice President of Lubricants Shell Oil Products US, effective Feb. 1.

Beginning Feb. 1, the Motiva Norco and Convent refineries will be combined under a single management structure.

Armand Abay, currently the manager of the Convent Refinery, will become the general manager of the new organization, which will be known as the Louisiana Refining Complex.

Norco and Convent already have a close working relationship, which includes information sharing, product transfer and departmental consolidations that have taken place over the last year.

Departments within Norco and Convent, which share leadership, include Business Planning and Analysis, Safety and Health, Environmental, Reliability and Technical Services.

Abay joined Texaco in 1976 as a process engineer at the Convent Refinery.

He advanced through various engineering positions there and in Houston.

In 1986, he was named chief process engineer at Texaco’s Puget Sound Refinery and later became assistant manager of the Bakersfield Refinery.

In 1992, he joined Texaco’s corporate planning and economics department in White Plains, N.Y.

Abay was appointed refinery manager of the Bakersfield Refinery in 1994 and joined the alliance in the same capacity.

In January 1999, he was appointed manager of the Convent refinery.

Abay earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.