A recently opened service centre and the introduction of mobile workshops have greatly enhanced the appeal of Jubail-based Dresser Al Rushaid Valve & Instrument Company Ltd (Darvico).

The firm also looks set this year to overtake by a large margin its 2009 sales turnover.

Darvico is a joint venture between America’s Dresser Inc (49 per cent ownership) and the Saudi Al Rushaid Group (51 per cent). Darvico products are widely recognised under the brand names of Masoneilan and Consolidated.

Masoneilan products include general and severe service control valves, pressure regulators, level transmitters and smart products while the Consolidated brand mainly deals with safety relief valves.

Darvico’s production was 5,600 valves in 2009 against 8,250 in the previous year.  In the first nine months of this year, the company’s output was 7,400 valves.

“Demand for our products is rising as many giant petrochemical plants are cropping up,” said Darvico’s general manager DR Pai.   The company’s total valves sales were $26 million last year against $41.6 million in 2008. But in the first three quarters of this year a sales turnover of $31.6 million was reported putting the company on track for a substantial improvement over 2009.

The company sells its products within Saudi Arabia. Pai said major projects this year were the Tanjib expansion, Manifa, Karan gas plant, Sabic gas expansion, Sasref, Jubail Export Refinery and the Aramco bulk storage plant. Completed projects were the Juaymah gas plant, Khursaniyah, Khurais, Nuyaam, Yansab, Hawiyah gas plant and Haradh gas plant.

Darvico is contracted to supply safety relief valves worth SR33.9 million ($9.04 million) and control valves worth SR14 million to ongoing projects.

Pai said the growth strategy was to concentrate on the aftermarket business, adding that initiatives like the 1,200 sq m Yanbu service centre and mobile workshops put the company in an advantageous position.

The company's mobile workshop: ready to go

Prominent firms supplied
Darvico has supplied its general and service valves to Aramco, Sabic, Sceco and SWCC among others  and worked with key EPC contractors including Bechtel, Technip, JGC, Technicas and Saipem. It performs aftermarket work such as valve overhauling and repair, calibration and diagnostic services as well as shutdown jobs and onsite testing, and has long-term service contracts with local parties. The company has capacity to perform valve repairs and testing on 15,000 control valves and 20,000 pressure relief valves annually. Fast-moving stocks worth $5 million are available in Darvico’s warehouses, guaranteeing rapid response and service.

Pai said fake and pirated valves constituted a serious issue for companies.

The Darvico mobile workshop, which the company described as a mini service shop, is basically a container equipped with a lifting device, a machining centre and testing equipment. “A defective valve can be fully repaired on site within a given time frame. In 2009 we successfully performed during a major plant shutdown at Yansab, servicing and testing hundreds of valves,” said a Darvico statement.

The mobile unit is also useful for startup and commission supports, it said. The company has made available four mobile workshops for calls 24/7 and mobilisation is guaranteed within a maximum of eight hours. For trouble shooting and field problems, it offers technical support within a maximum of 12 hours and international technical support from Dresser engineering offices within a maximum of 24 hours. Shops have been audited and approved by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel inspectors, USA, for NB and VR stamps. ASME certificates are issued for UV stamps.

The Darvico factory is regularly audited by Dresser to ensure compliance of service and business practice standards.