Just two years after joining Techint Engineering & Construction, Pilar Oliver was promoted to the position of Project Controls Analyst at DUPLICAR—and she’s also played a key role in the President Kirchner Gas Pipeline. She admits that, although living on site has its challenges, she enjoys the positive atmosphere created with her colleagues and peers.

Since Pilar Oliver joined Techint Engineering & Construction in 2021, she hasn’t stopped moving and her professional career is growing by leaps and bounds. At the age of 26, she’s working as a Project Controls Analyst for DUPLICAR (Argentina) since August 2023. She has two people in her charge and an extensive list of responsibilities, such as running the entire Planning area.

“Pipelines are these vast, extensive works; it’s not like a plant that’s always in the same city. It’s quite a challenge to live in a project; you have to move around a lot, but the rewards when things go well are amazing,” says Oliver, currently based in Bahía Blanca.

DUPLICAR, for the company’s customer Oleoductos del Valle (Oldeval), aims to increase the transport capacity of oil shipped from Vaca Muerta, and involves building oil pipelines from Allén to Puerto Rosales, which will increase oil exports by between 230,000 and 320,000 barrels per day.

Oliver’s first contact with this project was when she had to draw up the CAPEX (meaning the budget, but not the formal offer).

The work includes laying a 254-km pipeline from the Pichi Mahuida pumping station in the province of Río Negro to the Puerto Rosales terminal station in the province of Buenos Aires. Techint E&C is responsible for building Module 2 of the pipeline, crossing the provinces of Río Negro, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. In addition, the work included building three workshops along the right of way, in Médanos, Río Colorado and Bahía Blanca.

Much more than just colleagues

For Oliver, the workplace environment is extremely important, which is why she believes it’s so meaningful to build relationships with her colleagues that go beyond the confines of the working day. “I really like meeting people. Wherever I go, I make a small group of friends, because we’re all in the same boat, so it makes for a great atmosphere and we do things like going out to eat after work. At the project, we’re all family because we’re all far from home, from our friends and loved ones. That’s what ‘s so nice about being on-site,” she observes.

A historic opportunity

Previously, Oliver was working on the Offer stage for the Planning area of the President Nestor Kirchner Gas Pipeline (GPNK). In October 2022, she began work at the site itself, a considerable challenge for her fast-track career. There, as Planning Analyst, she soaked up the experience of on-site work and learned first-hand from the commitment of all the people taking part in the project, an emblematic achievement not only for the company but also for Argentina.

Juan Carlos Pais, Project QHSE Sr. Manager at the GPNK, met Oliver when she was working onsite and is quick to point out how helpful she was. “Despite this being her first on-site experience, her participation in our meetings proved to be extremely constructive. In a very short time, she’d achieved a high standard. Pilar has great potential and a promising future ahead of her.”

There are many young people like Pilar Oliver working at Techint E&C today, who are forging a path and career for themselves, as the company offers a wide range of development opportunities including experience both at projects and in the office, as well as the chance to interact with seasoned experts from different areas.