17-09-2013

New Intertek laboratory supports Texas City refineries and chemical plants

Intertek, the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, has opened a new, state-of-the-art petroleum and chemical laboratory to provide expanded local support services and capabilities to the growing refining and petrochemical complex in Texas City.

The new 9,415 square foot laboratory and office replaces an older facility, marking a significant expansion by Intertek in the Texas City area. With 24/7 operations, the laboratory staff has more than doubled to 16 in order to meet the growing demand for analytical testing services from local refiners and chemical manufacturers.

"Intertek has expanded our laboratory services to meet the increasing demand for testing and laboratory outsourcing support expertise in the Texas City and Freeport areas." said Michael Calais, Branch Manager for Intertek's Texas City operations. "Intertek is proud to be the first development in a newly rezoned industrial area of Texas City. We've been operating in Texas City for over 20 years, providing value and jobs to the area. The new laboratory complements Intertek's significant laboratory network in Texas and the Houston region."

Expanded Texas City lab capabilities include additional modern analytical instrumentation, allowing the laboratory to provide local in-depth trouble-shooting, trace analysis, and quality control testing for an expanded range of feed-stocks and products, including crude oil, refined fuels, and petrochemicals. The Texas City lab is ready to handle the increased usage of shale oil as a feedstock by local refiners, utilizing enhanced testing capabilities.

Advanced analytical technologies and expertise offered by the laboratory includes gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, simulated distillation, trace analysis for oxygenates in hydrocarbon streams, trace metals analysis, and a new laboratory information management system (LIMS) which is integrated into Intertek's global network.