Page 15 - DMEA Week 47 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

COMPANIES The company is one of the world’s leading 150,000 tonnes of coal per month and is in
suppliers of high-quality base oil and the only good standing to produce thermal electricity,
Luberef reports zero work- base oil supplier across the Middle East, East but the company’s initial aim was to extract
Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore and Europe.
gas.
related incidents A joint venture (JV) between Saudi Aramco The Chronicle said the first phase of a planned
Operations director Menard Makota told
(70%) and Jadwa Industrial Investment Co.
Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company (Luberef) (30%), Luberef began operations in 1978 with 750-MW power station should be up within
has continued its multi-year achievements of a refinery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and added three years, while gas mining will be resumed
zero lost time incidents (LTI) and a zero total a second refinery in Yanbu, also in Saudi later.
recordable incident rate (TRIR). Arabia, in 1998. “Gas mining is very expensive. We are
In total, Luberef Jeddah has completed The company’s production includes both drilling as deep as 500 metres and also it
14.1 million man hours and Luberef Yanbu API Group I (aramcoDURA) base oil for use requires a lot of technology, which currently is
15.6 million man hours without an LTI, as of in automotive and industrial engines, and still starting in Zimbabwe.
August 2021. Meanwhile, Luberef’s zero TRIR API Group II (aramcoPRIMA) base oil to “So, us being an indigenous company we
achievement places it as a global performance formulate heavy duty diesel engine oils, as have shelved that a bit and we are going to do
leader, significantly better than the global well as derivative oils, industrial hydraulic and that in the later years.”
average for the sector of 0.7 TRIR, as reported turbine oils. As for the power station, Makota said that
by the International Association of Oil and In addition, Luberef produces specialty its first 150 MW should be connected to the
Gas Producers. products such as drilling oil, diesel and bright national grid in 2024.
To reinforce the importance of refinery stock extract, and other products such as “We have had a [setback] due to recent
safety, meetings are held at least once a month asphalt, sulfur and marine heavy fuel oil. announcement by China that they are no
by each department, with key departments The company is also an integral part longer funding thermal power stations, and
such as operations and industrial security of the Saudi Aramco Base Oil Alliance, so, we are trying to change that technology to
holding multiple safety meetings each month. together with Motiva (US) and S-Oil (South first change the coal into gas then from there
These meetings reinforce the importance of Korea). The alliance has helped it to expand we do energy,” Makota is quoted as saying.
safety and helped contribute to there being its product offering to include API Group “We have already engaged the funder who
no medical treatment cases, no motor vehicle III (aramcoULTRA) base oil for high is working on the modalities to start the 150
accidents and no fires or spills at either performance and efficiency. MW then afterwards we are going to do the
refinery. HYDROCARBON ENGINEERING second 600 MW to make it 750 MW.”
Luberef’s commitment to health, safety BNE
and the environment was recognised earlier Zambezi Gas shelves
in 2021 when the company was honoured
in Saudi Aramco’s 2021 President’s Affiliates Matabeleland gas project REFINING
Excellence Awards with a gold award for
“Best Performance in Health, Safety and Zimbabwean company Zambezi Gas and Egypt pulls EBRD refinery
Environment’, and a silver award for “Most Coal Mine has shelved plans to establish
Improved Performance in Energy Intensity’. a gas production project in the country’s amid shareholder concerns
These annual awards by Saudi Aramco are Matabeleland North region, citing prohibitive
designed to promote and recognise the safety costs associated with the venture, The Egypt withdrew a $250 million loan request
and operational performance at refining and Chronicle reported on November 22. to the European Bank for Reconstruction
petrochemical affiliates and subsidiaries. The Matabeleland North mine produces and Development for an oil refinery

Week 47 25•November•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15