We provide industrial instrumentation and calibration for oil, gas, power and process plants across the GCC and Europe. That covers selecting and installing field instruments, process analysers and fiscal metering, then calibrating them with traceable references so every reading can be trusted.
Industrial instrumentation and calibration is the work of measuring a process correctly and proving that the measurement can be trusted. Instruments are the eyes of a control system. If a transmitter reads 2% high, the DCS controls the wrong value, the safety system trips at the wrong point and a fiscal meter bills the wrong amount. We specify, install, loop check and calibrate field instruments, process analysers and metering systems for plants across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Europe.
Capacitive and piezoresistive transmitters measure gauge, absolute and differential pressure. DP cells also infer flow across an orifice and level in a vessel. We size the range, select wetted materials, specify diaphragm seals for hot, viscous or corrosive fluids and fit two-valve or five-valve manifolds so the transmitter can be isolated and zeroed in service.
Pt100 RTDs to IEC 60751 give the best accuracy up to about 600 °C. Thermocouples to IEC 60584 cover higher temperatures and fast response. Thermowells are checked for wake frequency and stress to ASME PTC 19.3 TW, because a failed thermowell is a loss of containment.
Non-contact radar suits storage tanks. Guided wave radar handles interfaces and foam. DP level is robust but depends on density. Displacers, magnetic level gauges and nuclear gauges each have a place. We match the technology to the vessel internals, the fluid and the required SIL or accuracy.
Orifice plates to ISO 5167-2 are simple and well understood. Coriolis meters give direct mass flow and density. Electromagnetic meters need a conductive liquid. Vortex suits steam and clean gases. Transit-time ultrasonic meters are the norm for large gas lines. Each needs the right straight run and installation.
Gas chromatographs, oxygen, moisture, H2S, pH and conductivity analysers are only as good as their sample system. We cover sample take-off, conditioning, lag time and the analyser shelter itself.
Custody transfer and fiscal metering systems decide how much money changes hands. They need certified meters, provers or master meters, flow computers and an audit trail that a ministry or a buyer will accept.
Most instrument problems we find during commissioning and fault finding are not faulty products. They are wrong selections: a radar on a tank with an agitator in the beam, a DP flow meter with half the straight run it needs, a magnetic meter on hydrocarbon, a thermowell that resonates at full flow. Good instrument engineering starts with the process data sheet and the operating envelope, not the catalogue. We work across the main vendors, including Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Yokogawa, ABB, Siemens and Honeywell, and select on performance and lifecycle support.
How an instrument talks to the control system affects diagnostics, wiring cost and maintenance. Where it is installed decides how it must be protected. Both are fixed early in design and are hard to change later.
| Signal | How it works | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 4-20 mA | Analogue current loop. A live zero lets the system detect a broken wire. Failure signalling to NAMUR NE43 puts faults below 3.6 mA or above 21 mA. | Universal. Still the default for control and safety loops. NAMUR NE43 |
| HART | A digital signal superimposed on the 4-20 mA loop. Gives range, diagnostics and device status without extra wiring. | Asset management, remote configuration and NE107 status. FieldComm Group |
| Foundation Fieldbus H1 | Fully digital, 31.25 kbit/s, many devices on one trunk, control can run in the field devices. | Large process plants with a fieldbus-capable DCS. IEC 61158 |
| PROFIBUS PA | Same physical layer as FF H1, linked to PROFIBUS DP through a coupler. Common on Siemens PCS 7 plants. | Process plants built around Siemens and similar systems. IEC 61158 |
| WirelessHART | Self-organising mesh network of battery-powered devices. | Monitoring points, retrofits and remote tank farms where cable is costly. IEC 62591 |
Oil, gas and chemical plants are divided into zones under IEC 60079-10-1. Zone 0 has an explosive gas atmosphere present continuously, Zone 1 is likely in normal operation and Zone 2 only occasionally and briefly. Each area also has a gas group (IIA, IIB, IIC) and a temperature class (T1 to T6). Every instrument must carry an ATEX or IECEx certificate that covers the zone, gas group and temperature class where it is installed. ATEX is the European legal route under Directive 2014/34/EU. IECEx is the international certification scheme and is widely accepted across the GCC.
Analysers and fiscal metering are where instrumentation meets product quality, emissions limits and revenue. They need more engineering than a pressure transmitter, and more careful documentation.
Most analyser failures start in the sample system. The sample must reach the analyser quickly, unchanged and at the right pressure and temperature. That means a probe at a representative point, a fast loop to cut lag time, filters, pressure regulators, heat tracing to keep gas above its dew point and a vent or recovery route. For natural gas sampling we follow ISO 10715. A gas chromatograph that reports composition for energy content calculates calorific value to ISO 6976.
Analysers are often grouped in a shelter or analyser house. Its design is covered by IEC 61285, which deals with ventilation, gas detection, pressurisation and the hazards of bringing process fluids into an enclosed space. In the GCC a shelter also needs HVAC sized for 50 °C ambient and solar gain, and the GC and carrier gas cylinders must stay within their rated temperature.
Turbine, Coriolis or ultrasonic meters with a pipe prover, compact prover or master meter. Measurement and proving follow the API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (API MPMS Ch. 4, 5, 12). Where legal metrology applies, systems are assessed against OIML R 117.
Orifice meters to ISO 5167 or AGA Report No. 3, multipath ultrasonic meters to AGA Report No. 9, compressibility to AGA Report No. 8 and energy content from an online GC. Flow computers record audit trails to API MPMS Ch. 21.
Parallel meter runs with run switching, temperature and pressure compensation, sampling, a supervisory computer and a validated flow computer configuration. The whole system has a stated uncertainty, not just the meter.
Fiscal metering for royalty and tax, and custody transfer between buyer and seller, carry contractual and often legal obligations. The meter factor or K-factor must be proved at set intervals. Flow computer configuration changes must be logged. Seals, witness tests and calibration certificates must all be in place before a ministry or the other party will accept the figures. We support factory acceptance of metering skids, site commissioning, proving and the periodic verification that keeps a station in service. Allocation metering, which splits production between fields or partners, uses the same principles at a slightly wider uncertainty.
Calibration compares an instrument against a reference of known, smaller uncertainty and records the result. Done properly it tells you how far the instrument had drifted, corrects it, and gives you evidence that holds up in an audit. Instrument calibration in the UAE and the wider GCC is often a client or regulator requirement, not just good practice.
Our reference calibrators carry certificates from ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories, which in turn are traceable to national metrology institutes. In the UAE that chain typically runs through ENAS accredited labs, in the UK through UKAS accredited labs.
We record the as-found reading at five or more points across the range before any adjustment. That shows whether the loop was in tolerance during the last period. Then we adjust, and record the as-left result. Both go on the certificate.
Each result carries an uncertainty estimated to the GUM method, usually at k = 2 (about 95% confidence). We aim for a test uncertainty ratio of at least 4:1 between the reference and the instrument tolerance, so a pass really means a pass.
These are the standards that govern most instrumentation and metering work in the region. Client specifications usually sit on top of them and take precedence where they are stricter.
Instrument symbols and tag letters on P&IDs, such as PT, FIC and LSHH.
Selection and installation of Ex equipment, and its inspection and maintenance in service.
Legal and international routes for certifying equipment for explosive atmospheres.
Flow by differential pressure devices: orifice plates, nozzles and venturi tubes.
Metering, proving, sampling, calculation and electronic flow measurement for hydrocarbons.
Orifice metering, gas compressibility and multipath ultrasonic metering of natural gas.
Dynamic measuring systems for liquids other than water.
Competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
Instrumented safety systems in the process industry, including device selection and proof testing.
The same sequence applies whether we supply a full instrument package for a new plant or recalibrate an existing site during a shutdown.
Good documentation is what lets your maintenance team calibrate, replace and inspect instruments for the next twenty years.
| Document | Content | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument index | Every tag with service, type, range, location, loop and datasheet number. | ISA-5.1 |
| Instrument datasheets | Process conditions, range, materials, signal, Ex marking and accessories. | ISA-20 style |
| Sizing calculations | Flow element, thermowell and control valve sizing. | ISO 5167 / ASME PTC 19.3 TW |
| Hook-up drawings | Process and pneumatic connections, tubing, manifolds and supports. | Project standard |
| Loop drawings | Field device to I/O card, terminals, barriers and junction boxes. | ISA-5.4 |
| IS loop calculations | Entity or FISCO parameter checks for each intrinsically safe loop. | IEC 60079-14 / -25 |
| Calibration certificates | As-found, as-left, reference used and uncertainty. | ISO/IEC 17025 traceable |
| Ex inspection records | Initial detailed inspection of hazardous area equipment. | IEC 60079-17 |
| Metering documents | Uncertainty budget, flow computer configuration, proving reports. | API MPMS / AGA |
With more than 17 years in the region, we design and install for the conditions instruments actually see in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Shade temperatures reach 50 °C and surfaces in the sun get much hotter. We specify sunshades for transmitters, check electronics temperature ratings and allow for drift from heat soak. Analyser shelters and metering cabins need properly sized HVAC.
Fine sand and coastal humidity attack enclosures, connectors and flame paths. We specify at least IP66 to IEC 60529, 316 stainless tubing and fittings, breathers and drains, and corrosion-resistant Ex enclosures.
ADNOC, Saudi Aramco (the SAES-J instrumentation standards and related SAMSS), QatarEnergy and PDO each have their own instrumentation requirements, vendor lists and documentation formats. Sour service materials follow NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156.
Most GCC oil and gas plants are classified Zone 1 or Zone 2 over large areas, so Ex competence is essential. Our technicians work under the site permit system and the operator's Ex inspection regime. For shutdowns or large calibration campaigns we can provide supervised teams of 50 or 100 people through our commissioning and maintenance teams service.
Instruments are one layer of the control system. These pages cover the rest:
Return to control systems, instrumentation and power or contact our engineers.
Short answers to what clients ask us most. For anything specific to your plant, talk to an engineer.
Instrumentation is the selection, installation and maintenance of devices that measure pressure, temperature, level, flow and composition. Calibration is the check that compares those devices against a traceable reference and records how accurate they are. You need both: a good instrument that has drifted still gives wrong readings.
There is no single interval. It depends on criticality, the manufacturer's stability data, the process and your as-found history. Many plants start at 12 months for control instruments and adjust based on as-found results, while safety instruments follow the proof test interval set in the IEC 61511 safety requirements specification and fiscal meters follow contract or regulatory rules.
It means the reference used to check your instrument was itself calibrated by a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, with a chain of comparisons back to a national standard. Each step states its uncertainty. In the UAE accredited labs are typically accredited by ENAS.
Fiscal metering measures quantities for royalty or tax purposes to a government. Custody transfer measures quantities passing between a seller and a buyer. Both need low uncertainty, proving, sealed flow computers and an audit trail, and the terms are often used together.
Turbine, Coriolis and liquid ultrasonic meters are all used, with the choice depending on viscosity, flow range and line size. The meter must be proved in place with a prover or master meter under API MPMS. Where legal metrology applies, the system is assessed against OIML R 117.
Ex i intrinsic safety is usually preferred for transmitters and low-power instruments because it allows live maintenance and suits Zone 0. Ex d flameproof is used where the device needs more power than an intrinsically safe circuit can deliver. Both must carry ATEX or IECEx certification for the zone, gas group and temperature class.
Yes. We carry out in-situ and bench calibration and loop checks at plants across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, using reference calibrators with traceable certificates. We can scale up with supervised teams for shutdowns and large campaigns.
Send us your instrument list or scope and we will come back with a technical and commercial proposal. We cover new instrument packages, analyser and metering systems, site calibration campaigns and Ex inspections across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Europe. Call +971 54 774 6012 or message us on WhatsApp.
