CHAMPIONX is not a new children's video game, nor a mysterious racer from Formula One, but rather the chief supplier of chemicals to maintain the operations of the world's oil and gas fields.
The company launched its local office on Thursday evening at the Hilton Trinidad, although it's not new to TT, because its precursor firms had long operated here before a merger created ChampionX in 2020.
ChampionX is a global leader in chemistry programmes and services.
A company self-description said, "Our oilfield chemicals are used to enhance oil and gas recovery, improve asset integrity (corrosion inhibitors and biocides etcetera), ensure flow assurance (wax inhibitors and demulsifiers) and assist with environmental compliance (water clarifiers etcetera.)
"Globally we provide 60-70 per cent of all production chemicals for the major international oil companies (eg Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, Shell)."
[caption id="attachment_990647" align="alignnone" width="1024"] From left, ChampionX country manager, Guyana Keith Hick, Atlantic manager Ronald Adams, senior vice president and country chair at Shell, Eugene Okpere, ChampionX team lead Rishi Mahadeo, Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee Scoon, ChampionX regional manager Jim Troutman, area manager Nedio Melo Junior, Energy Chamber Dr. Thackwray Driver, and Perenco general manager Grégoire de Courcelles pose for a photo during the launch of Champion X operations in Trinidad and Tobago at the Trinidad Hilton, Port of Spain. 2022.12.08 - Photo by Ayanna Kinsale[/caption]
Area sales manager Nedio Melo recalled to guests how warmly he was welcomed to TT over the past two years and expressed his great respect for this society's culture.
"Our rich history is built on over a century of experience dating back to the petroleum-industry infancy.
"Now we have more than 7,000 employees, 30-plus manufacturing locations, 400-plus scientists and technologists, and 1,400-plus partners in more than 60 countries."
Regional sales manager Jim Troutman said, "We are the largest upstream chemical supplier in the world."
He said ChampionX has been around in some form for 140 years, its precursor firms starting equipment interests in 1882 and chemical interests in 1920. He related ChampionX's formation in 2020 by a merger.
"We're not new. We're a large company – 7,000 employees in 60 countries. We've actually been in Trinidad 60 years. Nalco was here on the waterside, mostly servicing methanol and ammonia facilities, as far back as the early nineties.
"In 2014 Champion Technologies came and won the first upstream contract with British Gas at the time, which is now Shell, which we still maintain."
Soon afterwards, Champion Technologies merged with Nalco, he recalled.
"So we've had a long history here. We're going to talk about some new beginnings today, but we've been in the community, supporting the country, for a long time."
He thanked oil/gas firms that were ChampionX clients.
"Shell is our biggest customer. Renaissance, Atlantic, Touchdown, a little bit with He
