Manpower for a Refinery Turnaround in Saudi Arabia: Trades by Work Package
A refinery turnaround is planned trade by trade against its work packages, phases and shifts. Which trades each package needs, what cards and qualifications to ask for, and what to put in the RFQ.
A refinery turnaround needs crews matched to its work packages, not one headcount. Scaffolders come first for access. Mechanical fitters, pipe fitters and qualified welders handle equipment and piping, riggers and crane operators the lifts, E&I technicians the instruments, with helpers, foremen, HSE and QA/QC staff throughout. Plan every trade by phase and shift.
Key takeaways
- Build the manpower plan from the work-package list, not from a total headcount.
- Access comes first: scaffolding is erected before the window opens and dismantled after box-up.
- Lifting is one plan: riggers and crane operators are requested together.
- Welders are accepted by WPQ test to your procedure; riggers and crane operators by TUV card where the site requires it.
- Send the window dates, shift pattern and site card rules with the RFQ, as early as you have them.
Plan by work package, not by headcount
Most turnaround manpower problems start with a request like "100 workers for 30 days". A refinery turnaround is a set of work packages with different trades, different start points and different peaks: access, static equipment, piping and valves, rotating equipment, lifting, electrical and instrumentation, and reinstatement. Each package has its own crew, and the peaks do not line up.
Start from the work-package list your planning team already has. For each package, name the trades, the phase they are needed in, the shift pattern and the cards the site requires. The total headcount is the result of that plan, not the starting point. For the general planning questions, see the shutdown manpower planning checklist.
Typical work packages and the trades they need
The table maps common turnaround work packages to the trades usually requested for them. Your scope decides the actual mix.
| Work package | Trades usually requested | Cards or qualification to ask for | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access | Scaffolders, a supervisor, helpers | TUV card where the site requires it | Erected before the window opens; dismantled after box-up |
| Static equipment (exchangers, columns, drums, vessels) | Mechanical fitters, riggers, helpers | Rigger TUV card where the site requires it | Bundle pulls and internals removal need the lifting plan |
| Piping and valves | Pipe fitters, pipe fabricators, welders (3G, 6G, TIG) | Welders: WPQ test to your welding procedure | Spool fabrication can start before the window |
| Lifting | Mobile crane operators, riggers | TUV card for operators and riggers where the site requires it | Request riggers and operators as one crew |
| Electrical and instrumentation | E&I technicians, industrial electricians | Confirmed per site | Isolation and reinstatement follow the permit system |
| Reinstatement and painting | Painters, helpers | Confirmed per site | Runs at the end of each package, not only at the end of the window |
| Supervision and control | General foreman, supervisors, HSE officers, QA/QC inspectors, storekeepers | Per your quality and HSE plan | Needed from the first shift to demobilization |
The three phases
Each phase has a different trade mix. Requesting every trade at full strength from day one is a common and expensive error.
- Before the window: scaffolding erection, spool fabrication, material preparation and receiving. Scaffolders, pipe fabricators, welders, storekeepers and helpers.
- Inside the window: opening, inspection, repair and closing of equipment and piping. The peak for mechanical fitters, pipe fitters, welders, riggers, crane operators and E&I technicians, usually on two shifts.
- Box-up and demobilization: reinstatement, testing support, painting, scaffold dismantling and housekeeping. The crew tapers trade by trade, and scaffolders leave last.
Shifts, peaks and the real constraint
Turnaround windows are fixed, and in the Eastern Province many plants schedule them in the same seasons. The constraint is rarely whether a trade exists; it is whether enough of it is available inside your window. The trades that run out first are usually welders, scaffolders and riggers.
State the shift pattern for each trade (day only, or day and night), the rotation, and whether the night shift needs its own foreman. Send the window dates as soon as they are fixed, even before the scope is final: early dates are what make a full crew possible.
Cards, qualifications and gate access
Plant access rules differ by site, so put them in the RFQ.
- TUV-carded workers are available for trades that require a TUV card, such as scaffolders, riggers and mobile crane operators. Gulf Orbit supplies riggers at Level III; see rigger levels explained.
- Welders are accepted by a WPQ test to your welding procedure, not by a TUV card. See welder qualifications explained and the 6G welder page.
- Aramco-certified and non-Aramco workers are both available. State which your site requires.
- CVs and card copies are sent for your approval before mobilization. Approving them before the PO keeps them off the critical path.
- Every worker completes Gulf Orbit's safety induction before deployment. Site-specific training is confirmed per site.
What to put in a turnaround RFQ
A complete RFQ gets a response within 24 hours: a priced quotation, or an acknowledgement with any questions needed to price it.
- Plant, unit and city, with the window start and end dates.
- Trades and quantity per trade, by phase.
- Shift pattern and rotation for each trade.
- Cards the site requires per trade (TUV, Aramco-certified or not) and your welding procedures for WPQ tests.
- Gate pass and security process, and any site-specific training.
- Whether you need accommodation and transport; these are quoted on request.
How Gulf Orbit supports turnarounds
Gulf Orbit has supplied turnaround and outage crews in Jubail Industrial City, Ras Tanura and Yanbu. Gulf Orbit has supplied operators for mobile cranes from 25 t to over 250 t. In-Kingdom personnel mobilize 48–72 hours from purchase order (PO), anywhere in Saudi Arabia, subject to worker documents and site approvals.
See shutdown and turnaround manpower for the service, or the city pages for shutdown manpower in Jubail, shutdown manpower in Ras Tanura and shutdown manpower in Yanbu. For access crews only, see scaffolder supply. When your window dates are set, send the turnaround RFQ.
Frequently asked questions
Which trades does a refinery turnaround need?
It depends on the work packages. Most turnarounds need scaffolders, mechanical fitters, pipe fitters and fabricators, qualified welders, riggers, crane operators, E&I technicians, painters and helpers, with foremen, HSE officers, QA/QC inspectors and storekeepers throughout.
When should turnaround manpower be requested?
As soon as the window dates are fixed, even before the scope is final. The constraint is availability inside a fixed window, and early dates make a full crew easier to plan. Mobilization itself takes 48–72 hours from PO for in-Kingdom personnel, subject to worker documents and site approvals.
Do welders need a TUV card for a turnaround?
No. Welders are accepted by a WPQ test to your welding procedure. TUV cards apply to trades such as scaffolders, riggers and crane operators where the site requires them.
Has Gulf Orbit supplied turnaround crews before?
Yes. Gulf Orbit has supplied turnaround and outage crews in Jubail Industrial City, Ras Tanura and Yanbu.