Carlyle 鈥� Nalco Champion is re-invigorating its operations in Saskatchewan, with a grand opening coming up soon for a revitalized Carlyle location, improvements in Estevan and Lloydminster.
Senior vice-president Terry Burleson was in southeast Saskatchewan on Feb. 23. He spoke to Pipeline News via phone regarding the changes.
鈥淲e鈥檝e survived the downturn like everybody else,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you go through something like that, you鈥檝e got a couple choices 鈥� roll up, hunker down, or reassess where you鈥檙e at. What we鈥檝e chosen to do is invest more in the area. We鈥檝e done that with upgrading our facility in Carlyle 鈥� a new facility, with a new lab that鈥檚 coming in next week. We鈥檙e also upgrading our lab in Estevan. Over the last six months we鈥檝e made some strategic hires, really trying to bring more experience back into the area.
鈥淒uring the boom time, we had lots of young folks come into the industry. You go into the downturn, and sometimes, the younger folks, if they get burned, they don鈥檛 come back. We took this time to really replace with more experienced people.鈥�
Murray Millar and Mike LaCoste were two of those recently hired by Nalco Champion.
The company is looking at adding staff in the Shaunavon area. In Estevan and Carlyle they have 24 people combined. There鈥檚 seven in Shaunavon, three in Weyburn, and about 40 people in Lloydminster.
鈥淲e do have a brand new facility we opened in Lloydminster probably about a year-and-a-half ago,鈥� Burleson said.
In the southeast they鈥檙e into production chemistry and frac chemistry as well. Water treatment, for recycle/reuse is another product line.
鈥淲e had labs in the area, but a lot of stuff was going to Calgary. To shorten the turnaround time, we鈥檝e brought the labs more local. There鈥檒l still be some testing that will take place in Calgary, but we鈥檙e trying to do quicker turnaround time in the routine analysis we do 鈥� wet chemistry and solids analysis, as well as emulsion breaking,鈥� he said.
It should mean a five-to-seven day turnaround time will be reduced to two-to-three days.
鈥淥verall, we鈥檙e trying to increase market share for all customers,鈥� Burleson said.
Each area has a warehouse, and the company has in-house chemical delivery.
Burleson said he wanted to highlight Nalco Champions leadership in problem areas such as paraffin, H2S, corrosion, water management and CO2 蹿濒辞辞诲颈苍驳.听
Burleson thinks the business will be stabilized and improving in 2017. 鈥淓verybody will get stabilized. Service companies will be able to rebuild a little bit. I see even better times for 2018. I think there is some speculation on the supply and demand balance. If we bring up production between Canada and the Lower-48, will Saudi Arabia pull back on their cuts? That鈥檚 probably the only worry out there. If the economy shows improvement in the U.S. and elsewhere, that will take care of itself.鈥�
A grand opening in Carlyle is planned for some time this spring.聽
