THE oil and gas industry of Saudi Arabia remains a vibrant and steady resource for oil. In fact, the country maintains strong confidence in its ability to produce that it has recently embarked on what is called an ‘oil exploration push,’ which is predicted to bring in 100 billion barrels of new oil coming from existing fields in the kingdom.
The effort is forecast to increase Saudi’s natural gas production by 40 per cent by 2014. From an industry perspective, Saudi Arabia has over 267 billion proven oil reserves, which is one fifth of the world’s total. The whole world consumes about 89 million barrels per day (mbpd) or 32.5 billion barrels per annum.
Eager to become a major part of this industry’s continued growth, Jotun Paints, one of the world’s leading producers and distributors of paints and powder coatings, has taken key strides in meeting the demands and requirements of the kingdom’s oil and gas segments. It is noteworthy to know that the company’s expertise in marine protection and powder coatings has led to the development of an extensive range of products for protection in some of the world’s most demanding environments, particularly off shore oil exploration.
One key factor that has helped bolster the efforts to develop and release newer and highly efficient powder coatings is the continuing increase in the demand for protective coatings. This has prompted the company to invest heavily in research and development, which has by far, resulted in the development of advanced formulations that offer resistance to corrosion, fouling, chemical attack and severe abrasion – with its tough one-coat, non-skid products with high film thicknesses meeting the need for surfaces for helicopter decks, gangways, escape ways and sub-sea structures.
Leading the way for the company’s move to mark stronger presence in the oil and gas segment is Jotun Protective Coatings, which is dedicated to the development, manufacture and supply of coatings to meet the challenging needs of the oil and gas sector.
The division boasts of a heritage of outstanding expertise in coatings technology and decades of international investment in research and development for the protective coatings market. Through the division, Jotun Paints has ably positioned itself to meet the fast-changing global challenges of this technically demanding sector.
An example of these demands are the exceptional conditions required by the oil and gas industry – harsh temperatures, climates and more often than not, extreme weather conditions. Whether pipes are thermally insulated, buried or submerged and whether the project is new construction or maintenance, Jotun provides maximum internal and external corrosion protection as well as temperature resistance. Each coating has been developed to deliver value through versatility, long service-life, ease of application and consistent quality.
Some of the products that the division has released for the industry are Tankguard SF; Tankguard Storage; Chemflake Special; Chemtech GM and Clear Jotatemp 650.
As a result of their endeavours, Jotun has keyed in over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry – with millions of square metres protected and hundreds of projects completed.
The company continues to upgrade its product range, with the strategic goals of not only meeting the demand for protection but to also meet strictly set regulations and key in a reduction in terms of environmental impact. The commitment that Jotun aims to live up to is strongly emphasised across its slogan, ‘Jotun protects property.’
