Course Director

GDB & BFB


Mr. Ara Barsamian

President & Chief Executive Officer
Refinery Automation Institute LLC (RAIL)

ARA BARSAMIAN who is currently President & Chief Executive Officer of Refinery Automation Institute LLC (RAIL), a fuel blending automation consulting firm, Refinery Automation Institute specializes in the profitable growth, development, and implementation of blending operations and technology.


Previously, he served as a group head of Exxon Research and Engineering Company where he designed, implemented, started up, and commissioned over 20 blending and oil movement systems across the United States,  Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia.


In 1985, he formed 3X Corporation, which was later acquired by ABB, building on his 40+ years of experience in over 60 blending automation and optimization projects.


Ara is a fellow of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, life-time member of International Society for Automation, member of ASTM working group on using spectrometers for certifying in-line gasoline blends, and a member of IBIA's Future Fuels working group. He graduated from the City University of  New York with a B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering.

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