THEODORE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LafargeHolcim today announced that it has received American Petroleum Institute (API) certification for the manufacture of well cement at its Holcim Theodore, Alabama plant, making it one of only four cement plants in the United States with an API 10A Monogram™ and Q1® Quality Management System.
The API Monogram is a license recognized worldwide denoting consistent cement manufacturing and testing processes that conform to API standards: the producing plants use a Quality Management System that meets API Q1 standards, and their products meet the specifications of API Spec 10A. At Theodore, production of Class A well cement will commence immediately, and the company plans to add Class H production in the future.
“This API certification demonstrates that we at LafargeHolcim hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of product consistency and performance,” said Jamie M. Gentoso, chief executive officer of US Cement operations. “Our energy customers have complex needs, and must contend with extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. We are deeply committed to meeting those standards, and more – by committing to the API’s ongoing, rigorous quality management system and producing the best well cements on the market.”
In order to earn the certification, LafargeHolcim spent more than a year in a rigorous process of investing in additional testing equipment, developing a quality management system, conducting internal audits, and, finally, passing an audit by the API. Well cement is carefully designed to meet extremely demanding requirements, and so must be continuously tested for chemistry, thickening time, fluid loss, free fluid, rheology, and compressive strength.
Production at the company’s Theodore plant will complement LafargeHolcim’s ability to maintain a consistent supply of well cement to customers in the Gulf region and beyond. The company also manufactures American Petroleum Institute (API) Class A and H well cements at its Joppa, Illinois cement plant.
About API Certification
API Monogram is a voluntary licensing program that facilitates the consistent manufacturing of product that conforms to applicable API Specifications. Licensed manufacturers are given the authority to apply the API Monogram registered mark to material that meets the requirements. Licensees must demonstrate that they have a quality management system that is compliant with API Q1 - an industry-leading quality management standard. API Q1 is designed to meet the requirements geared specifically to the oil and natural gas industry.
About Well Cements
Well cements, specially formulated for reliability and quality, are used for cementing work in the drilling of oil and gas wells where they are subject to high temperatures and pressures. LafargeHolcim is a leading oil well cement manufacturer globally, providing consistency in well cement quality, and supply chain execution for timeliness and availability of well cement around the globe.
All LafargeHolcim well cement solutions go through a rigorous process to ensure quality and consistency to offer the right performance for offshore, onshore and, shale gas/oil applications. They are formulated to provide high sulfate resistance, adjustable density, mechanical resistance, predictable setting and pumping time, and water tightness. LafargeHolcim operates the largest network of API licensed plants, with 18 established in 14 countries.
About LafargeHolcim
LafargeHolcim is the leading global building materials and solutions company. It has four businesses: cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete as well as advanced solutions and products that include precast concrete, asphalt and mortar. With its broad portfolio LafargeHolcim solves the toughest challenges facing masons, builders, architects and engineers, bringing industry-leading innovations and services to customers challenged by urbanization, population growth and the demand for sustainability. Headquartered in Switzerland and with leading positions in all regions, LafargeHolcim employs approximately 80,000 employees in around 80 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets.
In the United States, LafargeHolcim companies include close to 350 sites in 43 states and employ 7,000 people. Our customers rely on us to help them design and build better communities with innovative solutions that deliver structural integrity and eco-efficiency.