The Paints & Coatings Standards Committee won Saudi Aramco Engineering Services Excellence Award for the Best Standards Committee in 2021. This achievement was not only attributed to the work done in 2021, but rather was a consequence of a series of ascending improvements that have been taking place since 2011. In these 10 years, the whole content of coating standards has been revamped. Adopting innovative approaches and questioning the statuesque have proven to be successful in taking the standards to a higher level. There was a paradigm shift that did not only facelifted the coating standards, but has improved its overall quality. These new enhancements have contributed to a cost avoidance exceeding three billion dollars for the next decade. This presentation showcases examples of the improvements and how they contributed to this success and to a brighter future for protective coatings in the region. This success story is meant to be shared with partners in the market to understand the significance of such improvements and to instigate future successes.
Saudi Aramco coating standards have been holding a great status of prestige, not only in the Arabian Gulf area, but all around the world. Due to the size and significance of Saudi Aramco as one of the largest oil-and-gas producers in the world, the coating applications for its facilities had to follow suit. Yet, the coating standards were also interconnected with the coating industry, its limitations and old practices. In 2011, a careful study was conducted to address the most critical gaps in the Saudi Aramco coating standards. As a result, a long-term strategy was built to bridge these gaps and lead the coating industry. The strategy included the following:
• Cost optimization measures, to reduce the overall capital & operational costs
• Addressing new challenges that emerge with new projects and novel operation conditions
• Expanding the coating envelop to reduce costs spent on higher alloys
• Benchmarking with other end-users and aligning with international standards
• Anti-Fraud measures, to eliminate substandard materials & services
• Introduction and deployment of latest coating technologies
• Support for local content in the coating industry – circular economy
• Support of digitalization and robotic applications
