Saudi Aramco is committed to ensuring the steady and reliable flow of refined petroleum products to industries and individuals in the Kingdom. OGN looks at how the company distributes petroleum products around the country. THE SMOOTH functioning of Saudi Aramco's Distribution Operations network underlines the company's commitment to quality and safety.
From jet fuel for planes to petrol for cars and refined products to power the Kingdom's desalination plants and electric generators, the Distribution Operations network has changed the face of Saudi Aramco.
Constant modernisation and use of modern technologies has enhanced Saudi Aramco's commitment to the future and maintain its role as a key player not only in the Kingdom but also the world.
Domestic distribution is a relatively new responsibility for Saudi Aramco. Before the July 1, 1993 Royal decree which entrusted Saudi Aramco with the management of all of the Kingdom's refineries and petroleum distribution facilities, the company focused primarily on exploration and production activities.
Saudi Aramco's distribution functions were limited to marketing products from the Master Gas System and crude oil to selected local industries and supplying crude oil to Saudi Arabia's non-Aramco refineries.
In addition to the refineries at Yanbu, Riyadh, Jeddah and Rabigh, the move also gave Saudi Aramco control of a vast network of distribution facilities across Saudi Arabia.
The operation of such a network, its upgrade and modernisation, was a complex, challenging and demanding job.
The company approached the task determined to ensure the steady, reliable flow of refined petroleum products for the benefit of both industry and the individual.
The Distribution System was integrated into Saudi Aramco with no disruption in supply.
The Saudi Aramco distribution system comprises 18 bulk plants and 14 air fuelling units throughout Saudi Arabia.
The bulk plants are at the heart of the network, since they receive, store and deliver refined products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrol, kerosene, diesel fuel and jet fuel.
They are also the distribution points for Saudi Aramco's industrial clients and the petroleum product customers who ensure supply to businesses and individuals.
The air fuelling units handle fuelling operations at civilian airports and military airbases throughout the Kingdom.
Distribution Operations controllers must ensure that each of the organisation's 32 installations is supplied with a sufficient quantity of the appropriate products to satisfy the needs of its clientele.
Thus, the movement of refined fuels from primary bulk plants to secondary plants and air fuelling units is constant.
Every day between 3,000 and 5,000 tanker trucks, operated by more than 200 different contract haulers, transport products between Distribution Operations facilities.
Refined products are also transported by rail from the Dhahran Bulk Plant to secondary installations at Al Kharj and Al Hasa.
One important measure is the introduction of bottom-loading skids at the bulk plants' distribution centres. By loading tanker trucks from bottom-connected lines rather than through above open hatches, employee exposure to petrol fumes is reduced and plant safety is enhanced.
Nevertheless, Distribution Operations staff stress that their modernisation efforts are part of an evolutionary process.
Because the distribution network is so large and scattered throughout the Kingdom, any attempt to transform the system overnight would potentially disrupt supplies throughout the network.
At the same time, the current programme of steady, measured upgrades allows Distribution Operations planners to adapt to changing demand and consumption patterns across Saudi Arabia.
The acquisition of a nationwide distribution network is another feather in the cap of Saudi Aramco's achievements.
The Saudi Aramco name, the company's commitment to quality and safety and the high professional standards of its personnel is now more familiar to residents all over the Kingdom.
