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Journey to excellence delivers major benefits for Petrotrin

07/12/2007

Petrotrin, the state-owned oil company of Trinidad and Tobago, is already reaping the benefits of an ambitious five-year business-improvement programme developed with Shell Global Solutions for its refinery at Pointe-à-Pierre.

Since November 2003, the company, supported by Shell Global Solutions, has been implementing a journey to excellence programme (J2E). Three and a half years into the journey, the programme has delivered improvements in health, safety and environmental performance – the company celebrated one million safe work-hours in 2006 – and improved plant availability and utilisation. The refinery’s economic performance has risen, and, by the end of Q1 2007, the J2E initiatives had contributed in excess of $100 million to Petrotrin’s bottom line.

The improvements are underpinned by more efficient and effective ways of working. For example, plant turnarounds are now better managed to help deliver on time and on budget, and structured operator rounds to monitor the health of critical equipment also are up and running in all units.

At the end of 2006, the two parties entered into a technical services agreement, which runs alongside J2E, so that new opportunities for improvement can be followed up.

Malcolm Jones, Executive Chairman, Petrotrin, says, “Shell Global Solutions’ staff have gone far beyond the role of consultant. Their role has been one of coaching and co-creating rather than telling, which has developed lasting relationships.”