The octane boost: How FCC chemistry and ingenuity fill the last barrel of the alkylation unit

Alexis Shackleford is an Executive Account Manager for BASF in the Detroit, Michigan (U.S.) area, where she provides technical and commercial support for FCCUs. She joined BASF’s Refining catalyst division in 2009 and has held a variety of roles, including technology specialist, marketing specialist and technical service engineer. Shackleford has authored many articles in oil and gas publications. Prior to BASF, she worked at Shell Oil Co.’s Deer Park refinery. She earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, with a minor in biomedical engineering.  

Brady Burton has worked in the refining industry since 2019. He has experience in environmental compliance and technical services with Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit refinery, where he is currently the FCC Process Engineer. Burton earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky.