Dresser-Rand opens new facility in Saudi Arabia

To establish its permanent presence in the Middle East, Dresser-Rand has set up a new service center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The company also formally committed to a new multi-purpose facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its investment in Dammam has created a multi-purpose / multi-product facility combining packaging for the Middle East with a service base in Saudi Arabia.

(The CNC machine center) 

Dresser-Rand has built its permanent facility in Dammam Second Industrial City. Representing a $53 million combined investment for engineering, construction, machine tools and other equipment, the new facility has repair capabilities for all types of rotating equipment. It also includes offices, a training center, cafeteria and a mosque.

According to Doug Craig, Dresser-Rand’s regional business leader for Saudi Arabia, in Dammam the company has a comprehensive and multi-purpose center with a wide range of technical capabilities. “Plans are underway to include steam turbine blade peening, hot and cold coatings, weld repair and heat treating, hydro-testing, and helium leak testing. In addition to these services, Gimpel valve repair and testing will be available.”

The new facilities have the capability to package compressors with the ability to lift packages up to 120 tonnes, said Craig. “We will also have single- stage steam turbine manufacturing capability with the ability to run steam turbines after manufacture or after repair. Our primary machine tools are CNC-controlled to provide the opportunity to establish some core parts manufacturing for the local market.”

High-speed balance machine

The most unique element, according to Craig, is the high-speed balance machine that can accept rotors up to 8 meters between bearing centers, 2.2 meters in diameter and 20 metric tons. “This is the only vacuum high-speed balance machine in the region. Our Middle East clients will no longer have to ship their critical rotors to Europe or the U.S. for this service.”

While building the facility, Dresser-Rand management is said to have addressed elements of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) aligning with company policy and standards. A “green” capacity that uses water from the wastewater treatment plant is in place, saving community resources.

Efforts to establish a permanent presence in Saudi Arabia led to the signing of a long-term Corporate Procurement Agreement (CPA) with Saudi Aramco in March 2009. Under the CPA, Dresser-Rand was selected as the first manufacturer to supply a full range of compressor and steam turbine products. The initial “big win” was a contract for 19 compressor systems destined for the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company refinery project (YASREF). The project involved the construction and operation of a 400,000 barrel per day integrated petroleum refinery in the Yanbu Industrial City located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea.

As part of this project, Dresser-Rand Arabia was responsible for packaging eight centrifugal compressors and all of the auxiliary systems, oil consoles, water consoles, and gas seal panels at a temporary facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.