Not all industrial garnets are equal

How GMA PremiumBlast™ helped Thailand’s oil and gas leader enhance productivity and lower cost
—without sacrificing the company’s stringent HSE standards

LS Engineering and Construction Co. (LS) in Thailand has been providing construction and maintenance services for over 200 onshore and offshore petroleum industries for the past 20 years.

When it comes to abrasive blasting productivity, the company knows that the abrasive itself can mean the difference between a safe, efficient jobsite and serious HSE risks.

The leading oil & gas company with extensive pipelines and LPG terminals throughout Thailand had experienced the drawbacks of common, dusty abrasives firsthand. It also lacked a supplier that shared its commitment to the highest international quality standards.

The company is known for stringent standards that safeguard not only its workers but the communities and environmental landscapes they operate in.

With a new riser platform painting and structural maintenance project on the horizon, the company was in search of an abrasive that would meet industry regulations and minimize health risks without sacrificing productivity or cost.

LS was ready to help the company clear the dust on abrasive safety, quality and productivity for this project.

The oil and gas company has been using industrial garnet for a variety of abrasive blasting projects. However, not all garnet is equal—especially when it comes to dust and other productivity measures. LS selected GMA, a supplier whose products would satisfy the company's safety, legal and productivity concerns.

LS knew from its extensive on-the-job experience that GMA Garnet™ produces less dust than other garnets and, as a result, decreases health and safety risks. GMA Garnet™ also delivers a cleaner surface, faster; this reduces embedment, which helps coatings adhere properly, and reduces overall consumption. Add in GMA’s many international quality certifications—ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 11126-10, to name a few—and LS had found a supplier who shared the company's commitment to people and the planet.

For the riser platform project, LS has selected GMA PremiumBlast™ for its high productivity. Throughout several blast trials, GMA PremiumBlast™ consistently completed the job 1.5 times faster compared to other brands of abrasives.

By switching from its current garnet abrasive to GMA PremiumBlast™, LS found an abrasive that’s safe and virtually dust-free, from a supplier who meets all international quality standards.

Using GMA PremiumBlast™, LS completed the Gulf of Thailand riser platform fabrication project 1.5 times faster than budgeted, with significantly less consumption. In addition, the disposal cost was reduced by 50% and GMA PremiumBlast™ can be recycled with proper recycling equipment.  

In Thailand, GMA Garnet™ is distributed by Arkco, Thailand.  Switch to GMA Garnet™ garnet and start saving. Contact Arkco today: kevin@arkcothailand.com

By Julian Anthony, GMA Asia Pacific