Dr Keith Holder obituary
July 1950 – February 2024
Keith was born on 10th July 1950. He studied Chemistry at Royal Holloway College, University of London, from 1968 to 1974, gaining a First Class Honours degree in Chemistry and then a PhD in Organometallic Chemistry.
For most of his career Keith worked for BP, firstly in Research and Development and later in projects related to the technical support of BP’s oil refineries. Most of his work centred around Residue Upgrading and Hydroprocessing with a view to producing cleaner fuels.
His research interests involved the upgrading of heavy oil and coal and on the mechanism of nitrogen removal from oil. As a Programme Leader in Hydroprocessing Technology his responsibilities were in assessing catalyst effectiveness and feed/product composition. He also managed BP’s Hydroprocessing Team University programme.
In 2000 Keith moved to UOP Ltd as a Technology Manager supporting technical sales to oil refineries in Hydrocracking and Hydrotreatment of diesel and lighter feedstocks. He specialised in catalysis, clean fuels and biofuels technology.
Keith was proud to have become a Member of the Royal Institute of Chemistry and a Chartered Chemist in 1976 and completed 50 years of membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2021. He joined the RSC Downland Local Section Committee and served as their Honorary Treasurer for a number of years.
Keith retired in 2013 and moved to the coast to be nearer his much loved sailing boat. He sadly died on February 16th 2024. He is remembered as both witty and wise, always pleased to take the time to share his knowledge with his colleagues. He is greatly missed.
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