Global Chemical Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of AlMansoori Petroleum Industries, is in the final stage of construction of a new world-class manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi.

The plant will manufacture a sodium asphalt sulphonate product to be sold under the brand name of CORT SAS.
Located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD I), the plant will have an initial production capacity of around 4,500 tonnes a year. 
“Sulphonated asphalt is widely used in large quantities around the world by oil and gas companies to drill oil and gas wells successfully where troublesome shales create problems,” said Adel Baobaid, vice president of AlMansoori Petroleum Industries.  “This product has enabled the successful drilling and placement of very long horizontal laterals out to 35,000 ft because of the reduction in torque and drag, inhibition of shales and the lowering of fluid loss at high reservoir temperatures.”
The multi-purpose manufacturing plant will occupy 30,000 sq m, including storage facilities for all raw materials and products.  All designs, planning and approvals for the plant were developed by local and international engineering firms having experience in similar types of projects.
One of the major raw materials required to manufacture sulphonated asphalt is sulphur trioxide (SO3) which is not available in the region.  To counteract this, Global Chemical Company has established a purpose built manufacturing plant for SO3.
“We are committed to ensuring the new plant will provide the technology and highest levels of quality to meet industry standards and specifications,” said Baobaid.
“The added flexibility in the plant equipment and processing conditions will attract outside companies to come to us to have their particular sulphonated asphalt requirement manufactured at this plant on a toll-basis.
“It is our intention to expand the scope of the manufacturing of specialised drilling chemicals within the facility. The second product to be manufactured may be sodium gilsonite sulphonate for use in both sea water-based drilling fluids and in oil-based drilling fluids.”