Solutions to extract more oil, sustain production and lower costs

Saudi Arabia

Ali Alrubaye, general manager of Champion Arabia Limited (CAL) and Saudi Arabia district manager for SLB, talks to The Energy Year about introducing advanced chemical solutions to Saudi Arabia and supporting projects to increase the country’s gas production. SLB is a global technology company that provides expertise and products for oil and gas production, transportation and real-time emissions monitoring.

Can you provide an overview of your business in Saudi Arabia?
CAL has been present in Saudi Arabia since the 1980s, supporting the development of oil and gasfields with technologies and speciality chemical products. We have a blending plant in Dammam, and we maintain a fleet to transport products to oil and gasfields across Saudi Arabia.
We are continuously developing new chemical solutions and technologies to help increase and sustain oil and gas production in Saudi Arabia, leveraging our global reach, technical expertise, strong supply chain and innovative technologies. We have provided customised products that support the gas and condensate production at Jafurah, helping Saudi Arabia reach its gas output targets, in line with Vision 2030.

How do you ensure your chemicals are optimally suited to the needs of your customers?
With every project, whether it is unconventional or conventional, offshore or onshore, we follow PROact, our proprietary, systematic operational assurance process. It allows us to understand customer goals and strategies, as well as design and deliver solutions precisely tailored to the project’s objectives. We also leverage our global network, drawing on the expertise of our teams in the Americas, Europe and Asia. By collaborating with SLB’s other divisions – marketing and R&D, for example – we bring the best solutions to Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, we have introduced several advanced chemical technologies, including solutions for asset integrity, phase separation and flow assurance. These innovations help our customers extract more oil, sustain production and lower operational costs. The growth CAL has experienced in Saudi Arabia is a result of the market’s evolving needs and our alignment with the country’s objectives. Both have been critical for the expansion of our business and the success of our customers.

What are some of your unique selling points?
At SLB, we strive to improve the lives of our customers, employees and stakeholders. Our employees understand our purpose and the reasons why we do what we do, and that fuels their passion and commitment. We invest heavily in our people, developing technical expertise and soft skills in our teams to ensure they can effectively serve customers and address challenges.
Another key differentiator is that our four main divisions – chemical technologies, production and automation technologies, drilling and completions, and emissions control – complement each other. We are better together and work to offer a unified solution to our customers.
Our global reach offers another advantage, as we can call on our collective experience in oil and gasfields across the world. We also leverage the global footprint of our manufacturing plants and robust supply chain to ensure continuity of supply to our customers in Saudi Arabia.

What are some ways in which your products support Saudi Arabia’s sustainability initiatives?
We have developed technologies that improve the sustainability of oil and gas operations, such as multi-functional products that replace multiple individual formulations with a single, targeted blend of highly effective chemicals. These multi-functional solutions can reduce the number of chemical tanks required to manage risk and effectively treat customer assets, simplifying the manufacturing and delivery processes and translating into higher efficiency and lower emissions.

What is your vision for CAL within the ongoing economic development of Saudi Arabia?
Our vision is focused on growth. CAL intends to expand in line with Saudi Arabia’s priorities in the oil and gas sector. We intend to drive investments in our manufacturing capabilities, blending facilities and analytical laboratories. We are also allocating resources to develop the talent of our employees in the country and increase Saudization. In the next five years, we anticipate growing in Saudi Arabia through the supply of our chemical solutions to multiple oil and gas projects, and we will be making investments to support their requirements and our growth strategy.

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