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Advertisers Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C.
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Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company
Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. is Bahrain's first venture into the petrochemical industry. It was formed in 1979 as an equal partnership between the Government of Bahrain, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and Petrochemical Industries Co., Kuwait.
The objective was to use the country's natural gas to produce basic petrochemicals to contribute to the economic development of Bahrain. Production of ammonia and methanol (1,000 tons/day) started in 1985.
The entire complex is self-sufficient in terms of all utilities and houses its own medical center, fire brigade and training facilities.
"In just under two decades we have grown to become a major petrochemical industrial venture, contributing to the international growth and development in this prestigious field," said H.E. Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, minister of oil and industry and chairman of Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. We have earned an excellent international reputation for quality, safety, reliability and care for the environment."
Since inception GPIC has established itself as a leading producer of petrochemicals in the international markets. It is renowned for its achievements in reliable production, efficiency of operation, safety and concern for the environment.
GPIC maintains a fishery near the factories as an assurance that no damage is being done to the environment - be it sea, land or air. As a result of this project, thousands of fish, spawned at the fishery, are given to the local poor throughout the year, and 10 percent of these fish are released into the sea. All this is part of its drive to protect the environment.
"GPIC grows vegetables, corn, cabbage and proceeds go to the needy. It has 2,000 kilograms a year. It gives the community the fruits of their harvest as part of the commitment to their neighborhood," said Mustafa Al Sayed, GPIC's general manager.
"It is important to demonstrate that even while operating a sophisticated petrochemical complex, it is necessary to care for the environment," said Al Sayed.
"The population in the world is increasing and by the year 2002 we will need to feed and care for 7 billion people," said Al Sayed, "That means we should develop our chemical fertilizers and petrochemical industries in order to utilize natural resources available to care for the world and be part of the world."
Last year GPIC achieved landmark results in a number of areas. The total combined production of ammonia, urea and methanol exceeded the budget by 4 percent, and the production of ammonia reached a record high.
An average daily output of 1,232 tons of ammonia was maintained over the year. Annual production was 449,504 tons of ammonia, 485,359 tons of urea and 421,946 tons of methanol. Record export volumes were also achieved in 1999.
Over the years GPIC has achieved certification to the ISO 9002 quality standard for all its production and export facilities. During 1999, after three years of hard work, the company's environmental management system was certified to the ISO 14001 standard by Lloyd's Register of London. GPIC is the first petrochemical complex in the Middle East to qualify for certification in both these international standards.
Quality, safety and environment have long been watchwords at GPIC. Even before receiving certification, GPIC was recognized as the Industrial Enterprise of the Year in the Arabian Gulf (1996) and has received recognition for its environmental policies from the Gulf Cooperation Council. For the past seven years GPIC has been given awards for an accident-free workplace.
"Realizing its responsibility to the environment, the company has issued this policy with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency through continuous improvement of its operations and proper management of the plant environment to reduce and prevent pollution and ultimately to preserve the environment," said Al Sayed.
GPIC is also active in a number of regional and international industrial organizations. It is an active member of the International Fertilizer Association, and Al Sayed is also the regional vice president of IFA.
He also would like to see more involvement with U.S. companies, "I'd like to see more cooperation with the U.S. companies in terms of technology and technical and procurement cooperation, and more coordination and cooperation in international marketing. For example a lot of materials we use can be building blocks for specialized downstream petrol-chemical industries in the United States. Therefore they would benefit from basic materials while we would benefit from downstream markets. It's therefore a win-win situation.
"GPIC has become a pioneer in control of omissions. Therefore any cooperation with GPIC would reflect high standards that we always like to maintain," said Al Sayed.
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Table of Contents The Al Khalifa Dynasty - Ruling Bahrain Since 1783 |
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Capacity was increased to 1,200 tons/day of each product in 1989. In 1996 and 1997 a 1,700 tons/day granular urea plant and associated storage and marine export facilities were added to the complex. Urea is produced by synthesis for liquid ammonia and gaseous carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of the ammonia production process. The new plant was designed with an initial production capacity of 1,700 tons of urea per day, and produces enough fertilizer to help grow the wheat required to produce 24 million loaves of bread a day.
Another environmental awareness project is the charity garden.
Initial review of the financial performance reveals favorable results despite the extremely low international market conditions that were experienced during 1999.