Sustainability recognition for Aramco departments and JV Luberef

Aramco’s Seawater Injection Department (SWID), its Western Region Distribution Department (WRDD), and joint base oil venture Luberef, have been recognized as “Top Performers” in sustainability in one of the Kingdom’s most prestigious awards. 

The King Khalid “Sustainability Awards” measure the ability of organizations to create competitive advantage through applying the best sustainability practices in commercial operations, while contributing to the social, economic, and environmental objectives of the Kingdom.

The King Khalid Foundation formally announced the organizations that were ranked as the top 10 performers for the King Khalid Sustainability Award.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical site visits have not been conducted and the gala will not take place.

The winners are recognized under the patronage of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Excellence

Salah A. Al-Juaidan, manager of SWID, said, “As one of the ‘Top Performers’ it marks as a testament to the effective frameworks instituted by Aramco’s leadership.

“It is also a demonstration of how SWID employees have embraced and built on those frameworks within our unique operational context,” he added.

SWID operates the Qurayyah Sea Water Plant (QSWP) and its associated pipeline network. 

QSWP is a flagship accomplishment for the company and industry. It achieves significant savings of groundwater by treating and injecting seawater to support oil and gas production. QSWP’s annual maximum capacity of groundwater savings is as much as the industry’s total annual groundwater consumption in the Kingdom.

Sustainability has always been a governing principle in our decision making, whether in operations, maintenance or engineering.
— Salah A. Al-Juaidan

“By treating seawater to support oil and gas production over the past four decades, SWID has been sustainably preserving scarce groundwater resources for the generations to come,” he added.

WRDD commitment to excellence

Reacting to being recognized as one of the “Top Performers,” Abdullah M. Al Ghamdi, manager of WRDD, said that it reflected a continued commitment to excellence and transformation.

“This award reflects the commitment and dedication of all leaders and employees at WRDD to achieving the goals of Aramco’s Operational Excellence program and WRDD’s vision to be a world-class distributor of high quality petroleum products.

“WRDD has placed sustainability at the core of its operations through promoting sustainable and socially responsible practices and initiatives in all aspects of its business and outreach programs,” Al Ghamdi said.

WRDD manages facilities located from the north of the Kingdom in Tabuk, to the south in Najran on the western side of the Kingdom.

It operates and maintains 10 bulk plants, two terminals, four air bases, and three strategic sites. 

WRDD supplies 58% of the total refined petroleum products demand in the Western Region, as well as providing critical services to major government entities. 

It also provides key support to the major religious events of Hajj and Umrah.

Key strategy for Luberef

Luberef president and CEO, Tareq Alnuaim, said that sustainability is a key strategy for the company, in which Aramco holds a 70% interest.

“Our latest Group II base oil products and our new byproducts, such as ULS diesel, are environmentally friendly and produce lower sulfur emissions,” he noted.

“Furthermore, our Corporate Social Responsibility program supports and engages with local communities in many unique programs.

“Being recognized as a ‘Top Performer’ is very important to both the company and employees since it sends a message that Luberef cares for its employees, community, and environment, and that in reality, is the essence of sustainability.”