The Ras Tanura Laboratory recently became the first in Saudi Aramco to earn the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 quality system standard accreditation. Obtained through the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation as part of general competence requirements for testing and calibration laboratories, the international standard is an assurance that lab customers can expect analytical services of proven quality. Established in 1944 to fulfill the Ras Tanura Refinery's analytical requirements, the Ras Tanura Laboratory ensures that crude and refined products meet local and international quality standards; monitors plant processes for Ras Tanura Refinery, Ras Tanura and Ju'aymah Terminals, Ju'aymah Gas Plant, the Environmental Health Organization, Distribution Bulk Plants and Tank Farms; and certifies finished products targeted for local and export markets. The lab also uses state-of-the-art equipment to help operations troubleshoot product-related problems, according to a report carried today by Saudi Aramco's web-site. The lab already has realized benefits from the ISO 17025 accreditation: "Percentage off" tests were reduced from 0.8 percent to a modest 0.3 percent; paperwork has been reduced thanks to easily accessed, online documents; and tools have been established for periodic customer satisfaction surveys and root-cause analysis of analytical and operational issues. Excellence has long been a focus of the laboratory. In addition to its own internal quality program, the lab participates in International Proficiency Testing Programs including the American Society of Testing Material (crude and products samples); Institute of Petroleum (motor gasoline samples); and Environmental Resources Association (water samples) to benchmark its performance against more than 200 laboratories worldwide. A luncheon - attended by Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, senior vice president of Refining, Marketing and International; Khalid G. Al-Buainain, Refining vice president; Ibrahim K. Al-Naimi, RT Refinery Operations manager; and Ras Tanura Refinery division heads - was held to recognize the lab's accreditation. "This accreditation, achieved in a relatively short time, is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the lab division," Al-Khayyal said. "Following on the heels of the lab's successful ISO 9001 Quality System Standard in 2003 and 2004, the certification reflects the division's steadfast commitment to uncompromising quality, and its leadership among Gulf-area labs."
