In view of the general reduction in investment, the current local scenario may be conducive to committing to low-cost and zero-risk benefits such as those offered by TEPSI. It covers the risks concerning the environment, assets, people and – above all- the prestige of the companies.
TEPSI is offering a service that guarantees reliability on the industrial plants, no matter their age, through Processes Risks Studies and provides solutions to pre-commissioning and commissioning, start-up, operation and maintenance.
“Argentina, like Bolivia and Perú -to mention other countries where our presence is strong- has a large installed capacity that in some cases dates back many years and in other cases it has been maintained or expanded, but without a 360 degrees perspective as regards their weaknesses.
Most of the times, the starting point is the maintenance vision (at most, the preventive one), just to reduce or repair sources of production losses without taking into account the environmental impact, the damages done to the corporate image and the volatile trust of some investors”, explains Adolfo Vercellone, Head of the firm.
Today,All these variables come into play?
“High competition demands a comprehensive analysis of the activity. Global thinking not only relates to borders mainstream, but also to thinking about all the aspects and from all perspectives. In this sense, we have been doing what we internally call “Home Office” for a long time. This is work done by our engineering team that takes the plant process diagrams and provides an operational overview so as to make it easier the verification of the operation and validation of the design, manufacture, construction and assembly”, Adolfo Vercellone says.
“While aiming at a new start without any problems, we want to give reliability to what already exists to prevent unexpected downtime. Actually, this installed capacity is reduced if we cannot rely on its operational ability in the short and long run. That is why we are launching a service thatdetermines and certifies the operating reliability of the facilities, in a broad sense.”
According to Adolfo Vercellone, the idea is to boost efficiency in the operation, favour tests and trials and speed up the implementation, what is usually outside, or in second order, from the EPC professionals’ (Engineering, Procurement & Construction professionals) point of view, whose job is to make costs more efficient, as it is expected in any business.
When a plant or a pipeline is built, or when a process unit is added, the main objective is to start on time, operate non-stop and achieve the expected performance.
What are the good practices?
“When a plant is operating or is about to operate with a certain degree of uncertainty regarding its condition and ability. Our services aim at achieving that, checking that that everything is ready to start and operate. We rely on our facilities through our core business : “plant enlistment and its previous Home Office”
“Previously, it was assumed that ‘a new broom sweeps clean’, which was rarely the case. Reality shows that it is essential to check the assembly work, not because of lack of experience of the construction companies, but because the construction is a work of significant definitions, whereas non-stop operation depends on a good design and very “fine” details that must be verified and validated”.
In the last decade, the need to trust new installations from the very beginning has definitely been installed.
In his opinion, the drop in the price of the hydrocarbons is temporarily holding back many investments in the hydrocarbon sector.
”However, the ones already launched still need us On the other hand, this good practice of enlistment exceeds the sector, which is used to being at the forefront in the implementation of modalities in the industry in general”, he stresses.
TEPSI’s activities are, in fact, developed over a growing variety of areas.
Adolfo Vercellone comments …
“At the local level, we go on providing operation and maintenance solutions with continuous contracts to Pan American, Pluspetrol and Tecpetrol (Vaca Muerta), Naturgy (GNL) and Pan American Energy (Refinería Axion). We also work in the steel industry (Acindar and Sipar Gerdau),as well as the industries of the biofuels, the Alternative Energies, the Aeroespacial (Satellogic) one and the industry of the agriculture sector (Syngenta and others) too. We have also participated in the main mining projects in Perú (like Bayovar de Vale, Toromocho, de Chinalco; Inmaculada, de Hoschild Mining; Shougan, de Shougan; Las Bambas , de Bechtel Volcán; Cerro Verde de GYM ; Juiz, Vazante (Brasil) and Cajamarquilla 320 K (Perú) de Votorantim.”
“From the youngest of our management units in Salta, Argentina provides services to the Lithium Mining, through our customers : Litica, Livent, Exar, Rincón Minning, Millenial Lithium, Sales de Jujuy and others.“
What remains of 2020 looks quite promising to collaborate with the producers in the programming of actions to overcome COVID 19 crisis , in 2021 on the basis of an analysis of the real state of the existing facilities.
What are your perspectives?
“In a near future it will be imperative to show the reliability of the facilities in a conclusive way. Preparation time will give comparative advantages to those who know how to start first, and above all, be able to turn the current crisis into a wide range of opportunities.”
“TÜV Rheinland will shortly carry out a maintenance audit of the Integrated System of Tepsi’s management, which is our best tool to achieve positive changes and permanent improvement”.
In addition, the firm is developing a series of strategic alliances in order to launch into the provision of modular oil and gas process units.
“Our aim is to sell the first ones before the end of the year and we are confident that there will be a reactivation of the local sector in a few months.”
“We are interested in providing solutions from all possible angles”, sums up the manager.
In his opinion, the main capital that TEPSI has is its people. “Our mission is to commit ourselves to our customers’ problems addressing them as if they were our own, up to their final resolution”.
“We stand next to them, not in front of them, seeking to solve problems beyond the specific ones
for which they had called us. Even many times our direct client is the one who is building the plant, but our attitude aims at meeting the needs of our final client, the owner. This frequently makes us anticipate a future claim from the one who will receive the work, which ends up being beneficial for the builder as well. For us, as a colleague said “trusting is good, but verifying is safe”, he stresses.
The company, he adds, also offers other services that collaborate with the chain of the customer’s needs. “They range from analysis of processes risks, field surveys and installations with drones and 3D scanner up to studies of feasibility, conceptual, basic and detailed engineering with operative perspective and purchasing management.”
