DIALOG COMPLETED ITS FIRST MAJOR CATALYST CHANGE-OUT JOB IN THE U.S. – NOVEMBER 2008

Dialog Services, Inc

Dialog Services, Inc was awarded and completed the first major catalyst change-out job by a refinery at El Paso in Texas since its entry into the U.S. market recently.

Dialog has gained wide acceptance and recognition by oil majors in Asia Pacific and Europe for its unique Catalyst Handling Services technology and has decided to venture into the vast U.S. market. It set up its first office via its subsidiary Dialog Services, Inc in Houston recently.

The Major Catalyst Change-out Job

The major catalyst change-out job includes catalyst change-out and skimming works for a total of six reactors with a value of approximately USD 400,000. The six reactors include the diesel hydrotreater, jet hydrotreater and four rheniformer reactors.

The job was carried out in the second half of November during the shut down of the refinery.

Dialog and its alliance partner assembled a crew comprising skilled and experienced manpower from the U.S., Malaysia, U.K. and Australia to perform the job on a 24-hour basis. The crew was mobilized early to El Paso to coordinate, organize and plan for the change-out job. It was divided into four teams, with two teams each on day and night shifts to deliver the service within the tight work schedule.

In this change-out service, Dialog’s technological advantage was fully demonstrated. On safety aspect, the job was completed without any lost time injury. Its proprietary “clam-flo” unloading with on-line screening for the platinum-based extrudate catalyst of the rheniformer reactors produced substantial saving of catalysts for the refinery.

Instead of replacing the reactors with 140 drums (55–gallon drum capacity) of new catalysts, only 4 new drums were loaded together with the catalysts saved from the “clam-flo” unloading. Another obvious advantage was the clean environment during the change-out where zero-dust emission was the call of the day.

The team had delivered this first major change-out job safely, on-time and with satisfactory performance despite some challenges such as tight working space, change of reactors unloading schedule and close coordination with other on-site contractors.

Dialog was very happy and grateful to our alliance partner and our client for their confidence in Dialog and for awarding this first job to its subsidiary Dialog Services, Inc.