Andean State Awards 2018

10 LATIN AMERICA NEWS / Andean State Business Excellence Awards 2018 , Texas Oiltech Laboratories Drawing onmore than 32 years’ experience in the industry, Texas Oiltech Laboratories (TOL) is an independent, ISO 17025: 2005 certified petroleumand petrochemical testing laboratory, providing in-house and on-site analytical and testing services. We invited Edgar Alba to tell us more about the firmand the range of services it provides. Established in 1985, TOL was created because the founders recognized the need for a testing laboratory in Houston that would provide rapid turnaround time for a variety of testing services. These services were in high demand by a variety of industry professionals, such as crude oil gatherers, toll blenders, and others in the local petroleum and petrochemical section. Later, the firm also recognized the need for analytical testing capabilities at job sites such as power plants and as such, began to offer this service first locally and then eventually worldwide. Today, on-site testing is a major part of TOL’s activity, as the firm visit new power plant sites all over the globe. The company can be used as a support for three crews for performance testing or plant commissioning or when fuel problems develop in the field. Additionally, TOL has also developed a reputation as problem solvers. By combining a number of analytical techniques, the firm can perform research studies on problems related to lubricants, petrochemicals, and fuel publications for gas turbines and diesel engines. The vast range of services that the firm provides within a myriad of sectors allows TOL to act as a thought leader within the market and share its knowledge with its customers and industry peers through a variety of platforms, as Edgar highlights. “Our company is an active part of the main research and standardization institutions in the world, such as the American Society Testing Material - ASTM, American Petroleum Institute - API, and to be part of the interlaboratory tests of Chevron BP, Shell, and Universities. This allows us to be at the forefront of technology and new industry practices, ensuring we offer clients a truly cutting edge solution that meets their needs. “In the power gen sector, TOL has been endorsed by the manufacturers of turbines and generators to verify the proper use and guarantees of the equipment through fuel and lubricant tests. We actively participate in conferences and we are invited to present research and applications to solve the technical problems of the sector.” Thanks to a number of new collaborations and strategic partnerships, TOL is moving in a new direction, as Edgar is proud to conclude. “Over a short period of time, TOL has won the trust of the Colombian Petroleum Company - ECOPETROL, for the development of its specialized studies in Up Stream. The signing of call of contract has been a key factor for the growth of the company. The strategic alliances with companies of high technological level for the development of new practices and production optimization has refocused the consulting services of the firm offering services from start to finish in the entire chain of oil production. We are working closely with the Universities, we have carried out joint research projects, through undergraduate and postgraduate theses. This makes the academy and the industry closer and will help us to adapt and develop our offering. “Owing to these developments, in 2017 we decided to take the path to move from a Laboratory Analysis Company to a Technology Solutions Company for the improvement of processes. This has forced us to think about how the client thinks and to deliver what the client needs, and delivering this will remain our ongoing focus as we look towards a bright and exciting future.” BRA17002