John Crane awarded major 5-year Dry Gas Seal repair contract from KPO

John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions and energy transition technologies and services, and a business of Smiths Group plc, has been awarded a significant contract from Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO) one of the major oil and gas operators based in Kazakhstan.

For John Crane the contract will enhance its in-country value through its involvement in the Karachaganak Project, a significant gas condensate field due to its size and contribution to global energy markets. This has entailed the development and upskilling of John Crane’s local workforce, aligning with the Kazakhstan government's localisation strategy. These steps not only enhance operational efficiency for KPO, but also contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of the local economy.

President of John Crane, Bernard Cicut, commented: “KPO oversees the expansion and development of one of the world’s largest gas and condensate fields, and we are proud to have built a strong and valued partnership with them spanning more than two decades. This latest award demonstrates our growing global footprint as well as our ability to provide highly localised solutions to solve our customers’ complex sealing challenges.”

John Crane will set up local production of mechanical seals and spare parts for ‘John Crane’ equipment used in the Karachaganak field. They serve to minimise leaks, keep contaminants out, and maximise efficiency through the prevention of friction, distortion and other damage in machinery which can lead to downtime and loss of performance. Dry gas seals are typically used in the centrifugal compressors of upstream, chemical and petrochemical plants.

John Crane's innovative and durable dry gas seal units at KPO feature a triple seal technology developed to meet the challenges of operating equipment in high-pressure environments. They are also designed to meet the challenges presented by the presence of toxic, corrosive and highly flammable chemical compounds such as hydrogen sulphide. 

John Crane has partnered with KPO since its inception providing them with a wide range of products including wet seals, dry gas seals, filters, and other services.

---ENDS---

About John Crane
John Crane is a global leader in mission-critical technologies for the energy and process industries and an innovator in rotating equipment, encompassing mechanical seals, couplings, filtration systems and cutting-edge asset management and digital diagnostics solutions. Blending a rich legacy of innovation with a commitment to service excellence, we have enabled our customer’s reliable and sustainable operations for over a century. While recognizing the role of traditional energy, we are pioneering solutions that enable cleaner alternatives, crafting a vision for a sustainable energy future. Our extensive global presence underscores our promise to customers, with over 200 service centres in 50 countries. With over £1 billion in revenue in 2023, we are an integral pillar of Smiths Group plc, a FTSE 100 listed company dedicated to improving our world through smarter engineering.

About Smiths Group
For over 170 years, Smiths Group has been pioneering progress by improving our world through smarter engineering. We serve millions of people every year, to help create a safer, more efficient, and better-connected world, across four global markets: Energy, General Industry, Safety & Security, and Aerospace. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs more than 15,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. For more information visit www.smiths.com.