Over the last few years, the Middle East region has greatly expanded its chemical, petrochemical, refining, and other process manufacturing capacities. ArabianBusiness.com summed it up:
The rapidly expanding downstream sector in the Middle East has led technology providers to continuously look at ways to improve operating efficiencies and product qualities, and in many cases processing heavier feedstock. This has driven the innovation and smart application of improved catalysts and process configurations which help meet these requirements.
I mention this because I just saw a tweet from @MicroMotion, the team who manages Emerson’s Micro Motion Coriolis flow and density measurement brand:
Emerson Process Management just opened their 1st flow calibration & service center for the Middle East & Africa! https://tinyurl.com/4erphyg
Following the link in the tweet goes to the news item, Emerson Process Management opens first flow calibration & service center for Middle East & Africa.
The news is that this Abu Dhabi-based center is the first, dedicated, in-region flow calibration service, support and training facility. It:
…operates using ISO 9001:2008 certified processes and is committed to ongoing process improvements to ensure superior quality. Metrological traceability and certification processes ensure reliable measurements in laboratories and facilities around the world. VSL, the National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands, has certified the calibration equipment’s Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC) with an uncertainty of 0.03%. This CMC reflects the traceability, technical competence and capability of the calibration equipment available at the new Emerson facility.
Oil & Gas News connected with Emerson’s Keven Dunphy who leads Emerson’s Flow division for the Middle East and Africa region. You may recall Keven from a cryogenic metering post. In the Oil & Gas News article, he notes (with my hyperlinks added):
Flow calibration is more challenging than other types of calibration. There are technical aspects like meeting ISO or OML requirements. The calibration provided by the Abu Dhabi facility is accredited by VSL (or NMi), an ISO certified third party from Europe.
The article also shares that growth in the region has created the need for more Emerson people:
Over the last 18 months we have hired about 150 more people and I would expect to add a further 210 over the next 12 months to meet demand… We have 580 employees in the region who can move to anywhere they are needed.
As the process manufacturers continue to grow and expand in this region, so does the need for automation professionals to serve them. This is a positive change from the global economic conditions over the past few years.
