Sunday, 5 May 2013

Gas Station Calibration-an Integral Part Of The Petroleum Business

By Mona Moody


Many surveys conducted, have indicated that most petroleum businesses do not take Gas station calibration seriously. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that regular checks and servicing of equipment is not considered a priority by most companies. If anything, repair and maintenance costs normally take the flak for a poor showing of the company bottom line. Hence they are treated as an expense items which are ripe for trimming.

Defective metering equipment has the potential of hurting the business in a mighty way. It can be quite devastating once a customer detects that they are getting less than what they have actually paid for. Some of the far reaching consequences include loss of customer confidence, forced regulatory by the government, a damaged brand reputation and even a total boycott of company products all together.

Most gas companies concentrate a lot more in servicing other non core areas of their operations. These areas include filing leakages, replacing broken pumps, paint work on rusty surfaces and even overhauling spoilt nozzles. By allocating minimum attention to gas calibration, they are in essence neglecting the heartbeat of their existence. This state of affairs explains why petroleum companies report a spike in losses in spite increasing turnover.

The customers are not the only losers when the gas station calibrations are faulty. The company too can also be giving away more of their stocks while charging less and thus under billing. When this goes unchecked over the time then the calamitous end results cannot be over emphasised.

Failure to ensure that gas calibrations are accurate may also put the company on a collision path with the authorities. The petroleum industry as a whole is stringently regulated in most countries given the sensitivity of the products being dealt with. Intermittent audit cycles and sporadic spot checks are conducted by various standardization bodies in most jurisdictions.

Further, the penalties applicable for any player found operating poorly calibrated equipment can be quite crippling. There are innumerable stations that have been closed down and their parent companies deregistered from operating in some countries. As such gas calibration should be treated with the seriousness it deserves by anybody venturing into this business.

On the bright side of things, it is all not gloom and doom in this business. Those who seek assistance in carrying out proper calibrations can find plenty of support from several regulatory bodies around. An Example of such entities includes the department of weights and measures nearer to your locality. This arm of government can provide you with expert advice and even equip you with certified calibrating equipment . They even appraise you with any changes in law if any.

Some countries have also tasked the relevant bodies to develop and provide players with standardized equipment for testing. This creates uniformity and harmony in the petroleum industry. They do also retain specialised field officers who can be dispatched on request to assist gasoline station operators in calibrating. With all these options available, gas station calibration is definitely a lot easier than before.




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