The opening of Qatar’s first dry gas seal and testing facility in Ras Laffan will help attract more international companies to the country amid efforts to stimulate private sector participation in major projects, a Qatar Petroleum (QP) official has said.
“You will play an important part in encouraging small businesses in Qatar to bring in other major players to support the economy of Qatar, and at the same time, to develop local companies in Qatar,” said QP Industrial Cities Directorate vice president Abdulaziz al-Muftah, referring to the facility opened by US-based company John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions, supplying engineered technologies and services to process industries.
In a ceremony held Wednesday, al-Muftah, together with officials from John Crane and Al-Ahed Trading and Contracting Company, one of Qatar’s leading oil and gas and energy service providers, inaugurated Qatar’s first dry gas seal and testing facility.
For nearly 40 years, Al-Ahed has represented John Crane within Qatar, providing a range of John Crane products and multidisciplinary services to oil and gas customers within the region. The service centre is part of John Crane’s commitment to continue investing in and developing its network of global service centres, as well as bolster support for local customer service needs.
Located in the Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) security area, the new service centre will provide John Crane with the capabilities necessary for aftermarket support for its customers within the region, while also allowing them to deliver quick turnaround service capabilities and reduce downtime costs.
“John Crane has been supporting energy sector companies in Qatar since the first compressors with dry gas seal technology were installed in the country,” said Ruben Alvarez, executive vice president, sales and Aftermarket.
“Our continuous investment in local capabilities, such as our existing wet seal service centre and the request from our customers for local support, as well as a higher level of technology and service differentiation, clearly marked our strategy to commit to this investment,” he continued.
The service centre increases John Crane’s localisation efforts in Qatar, which closely aligns with the energy sector’s vision. The opening of the centre brings highly-critical service and repair capabilities to Qatar’s energy sector and provides support for local companies within the oil and gas, petrochemical, fertiliser, and power generation markets, John Crane said in a statement.
The service centre bolsters John Crane’s capabilities to deliver highly-critical services to repair and test dry gas seals locally within Qatar, and enables it to provide end-to-end solutions to oil and gas customers. The service centre includes spare part stocking services, along with the repair and balancing of standard and high-pressure couplings.
The facility will also add local expertise to provide critical service capabilities that will help to reduce customer lead time, as well as reduce delivery and shipment costs, the statement further said.
Alvarez said, “Considering local logistics, Qatari customers are demanding critical services like gas seal repair and testing. We are proud to be working with the government of Qatar, as well as Qatar Petroleum, to drive the localisation of critical manufacturing and service capabilities. Establishing this first-of-its-kind facility within Qatar will allow us to dramatically reduce maintenance and shipping costs, while also decreasing delivery lead times.”
Phase two of the service centre will bring additional capabilities to cover wet seal product services and support. John Crane’s other service facility, located in the Salwa Industrial Area, will continue to extend wet seal repair services to oil and gas customers within the region.
Al-Ahed Holding vice chairman and CEO Jassim al-Mansoori said: “Al-Ahed is fully committed in providing John Crane products and services within Qatar. With the addition of the Ras Laffan service centre, Al-Ahed will now be able to provide unmatched local support for critical products such as mechanical seals, dry gas seal, and coupling repairs, as well as provide technical and reliability engineering services all year round.”
In a ceremony held Wednesday, al-Muftah, together with officials from John Crane and Al-Ahed Trading and Contracting Company, one of Qatar’s leading oil and gas and energy service providers, inaugurated Qatar’s first dry gas seal and testing facility.
For nearly 40 years, Al-Ahed has represented John Crane within Qatar, providing a range of John Crane products and multidisciplinary services to oil and gas customers within the region. The service centre is part of John Crane’s commitment to continue investing in and developing its network of global service centres, as well as bolster support for local customer service needs.
Located in the Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) security area, the new service centre will provide John Crane with the capabilities necessary for aftermarket support for its customers within the region, while also allowing them to deliver quick turnaround service capabilities and reduce downtime costs.
“John Crane has been supporting energy sector companies in Qatar since the first compressors with dry gas seal technology were installed in the country,” said Ruben Alvarez, executive vice president, sales and Aftermarket.
“Our continuous investment in local capabilities, such as our existing wet seal service centre and the request from our customers for local support, as well as a higher level of technology and service differentiation, clearly marked our strategy to commit to this investment,” he continued.
The service centre increases John Crane’s localisation efforts in Qatar, which closely aligns with the energy sector’s vision. The opening of the centre brings highly-critical service and repair capabilities to Qatar’s energy sector and provides support for local companies within the oil and gas, petrochemical, fertiliser, and power generation markets, John Crane said in a statement.
The service centre bolsters John Crane’s capabilities to deliver highly-critical services to repair and test dry gas seals locally within Qatar, and enables it to provide end-to-end solutions to oil and gas customers. The service centre includes spare part stocking services, along with the repair and balancing of standard and high-pressure couplings.
The facility will also add local expertise to provide critical service capabilities that will help to reduce customer lead time, as well as reduce delivery and shipment costs, the statement further said.
Alvarez said, “Considering local logistics, Qatari customers are demanding critical services like gas seal repair and testing. We are proud to be working with the government of Qatar, as well as Qatar Petroleum, to drive the localisation of critical manufacturing and service capabilities. Establishing this first-of-its-kind facility within Qatar will allow us to dramatically reduce maintenance and shipping costs, while also decreasing delivery lead times.”
Phase two of the service centre will bring additional capabilities to cover wet seal product services and support. John Crane’s other service facility, located in the Salwa Industrial Area, will continue to extend wet seal repair services to oil and gas customers within the region.
Al-Ahed Holding vice chairman and CEO Jassim al-Mansoori said: “Al-Ahed is fully committed in providing John Crane products and services within Qatar. With the addition of the Ras Laffan service centre, Al-Ahed will now be able to provide unmatched local support for critical products such as mechanical seals, dry gas seal, and coupling repairs, as well as provide technical and reliability engineering services all year round.”
