Commitment to innovation and new products is an ongoing process at 3M, which has been operating in the Middle East for more than 30 years.
From its regional office in Dubai, UAE, 3M Gulf Ltd serves markets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, providing high quality products and solutions for various industrial sectors, including oil and gas. The company's Abu Dhabi office deals exclusively with solutions for the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. And as Saudi Arabia accounts for a large share of 3M Gulf's market, the company has a liaison office in Riyadh.
With diverse in-house technologies, 3M is in a unique position to serve major oil and gas companies from exploration to production, to refining and up to retail. It brings together the resources of its various business groups to offer an integrated approach to the industry.
This direct line of communication with industry experts means easier access to a range of products covering worker and environmental safety, fire prevention and control, well stimulation, plant maintenance and corrosion protection.
Upstream, 3M offers worker safety equipment, slip resistant materials and matting, vibration control products and reflective materials, filters and microspheres. For well stimulation, 3M can provide surfactants which do not emulsify oil and water, or will not degrade as other foams do. Electrical, filtration and pipe insulation products are also available for this sector.
Fluorel fluoroelastomers help minimise the risks of extrusion failure in downhole seals, providing resistance to methane, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, steam and drilling fluids. In addition, increasingly strict pollution control standards are calling for better seal performance across all industries. Expansion joints, dampers, pump linings, and access door seals constructed of Fluorel fluoroelastomers are helping plant operators meet these requirements, according to the company.
For fire protection, 3M offers a 24-hour global emergency response service, fire containment booms, cost effective/low maintenance lighting systems for explosive environments and environmentally-safe, economical and versatile foam.
Downstream, for surface finishing and painting, 3M's range of abrasive products provides for effective finishing and reconditioning, includes anti-rust products and can be used with water and solvents. Various solutions for floor maintenance, including sanding and polishing products and wear-resistant floor signage, are also offered.
3M can also play a big part in corrosion protection issues, from the preparation of surfaces for corrosion protection, protection of pipes and equipment and repair of corrosion damage.
Scotchkote Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings have, since 1960, protected pipelines from costly underground and subsea corrosion, and many of the world's leading oil and gas companies have selected the coatings as the primary defence against corrosion.
Tough, durable and proven, Scotchkote possesses unique chemical characteristics, carefully engineered for optimum protection of metal in the harshest environments - including saltwater, wastewater, petrochemicals and corrosive gases. It's excellent physical properties minimise damage during transit, installation, and operation and it requires very low levels of cathodic protection.
3M's High Flow Filter Cartridges for amines, glycols, brines, injection water, coolants, condensates and chemicals have a unique radial pleat design, giving a much higher filter surface area than conventional string wound or axial pleated cartridges.
The radial pleat design gives a much higher dirt loading capacity, meaning that fewer changeouts are needed, compared with conventional cartridges. In addition, the filters give a reduction of up to 50 per cent in annual filtering costs compared with competitive systems.
All 3M products are rigorously tested to ensure that they meet the most stringent industry standards and match the requirements of its customers.
Incorporated in 1902, US-headquartered 3M is a $16 billion technology company with a workforce of approximately 70,000 and operations in more than 60 countries and serving customers in nearly 200 countries. The company produces some 60,000 products in the electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office, health care, safety and other markets.
3M is one of the stocks which makes up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
