Shell Singapore and The Shell Company of Thailand bag multiple awards at Asian Oil & Gas Awards 2024

The two companies were honoured for their implementation of exemplary waste management solutions, health and safety practices, people-powered strategies, and maintenance transformation. 

Shell Singapore and The Shell Company of Thailand Limited reaped accolades at the Asian Oil & Gas Awards 2024, securing wins in the ESG Initiative of the Year - Singapore, Health and Safety Initiative of the Year - Singapore, People Development Initiative of the Year - Singapore, and Operations and Maintenance Initiative of the Year - Thailand categories. 

With its mission "Keep the World Progressing Today for Tomorrow," Shell Lubricants plays a key role in Shell’s Powering Progress strategy to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.  

Waste management solutions in action: Partnering with customer for a more sustainable future 

In East Asia and the Pacific, where 23% of the world’s solid waste is generated according to the United Nations, Shell recognises the urgent need for effective waste management solutions. Insufficient systems and resources exacerbate the region's waste challenges, highlighting the importance of the initiatives.

Shell Lubricants assist customers in meeting CO2e emissions targets through innovative products and technologies designed to minimise oil consumption. Additionally, as a solution-driven, customer-centric organisation, the initiatives reinforce these values and enable Shell to support its customers with a more holistic value proposition that extends beyond lubricants.

Shell has also successfully found three partners in Malaysia, India, and the Philippines who share its vision of developing exemplary waste management solutions. Amongst the initiatives that arose from these partnerships are the Waste Drum Collection in Singapore and Malaysia, the Waste Oil Collection in India, and the Shell Lube Recycle in Philippines.

In Malaysia, Shell partnered with Cenviro which facilitates the collection of waste packaging and oil for responsible disposal. Shell Lubricants has also been working together with a major automotive producer and has been able to collect over 2,000 steel drums.

In India, Shell also launched a flagship initiative to organise the used oil disposal ecosystem, focussing on re-refining to support circular economy goals. By partnering with re-refiners, the company has enhanced nationwide collection and re-refining efforts.

In the Philippines, the Shell Lube Recycle involves managing and recycling waste, allowing customers to deposit used lubricant bottles at designated points. The collected waste is then transformed into eco-bricks for sustainable construction. 

This achievement won Shell Singapore the ESG Initiative of the Year - Singapore category.

Goal zero whilst growing business profitability

Shell Lubricants is the leading global supplier of finished lubricants for the 17th consecutive year, according to Kline & Company. 

Shell acknowledges that prioritising health, safety, security and environmental (HSSE) standards is crucial to navigating the complexities of its business. With this, it adheres to its Goal Zero — everyone who works for Shell should return home safely every day. 

Shell APAC Lubricants achieved its best health and safety performance in a decade in 2023, with zero incidents and loss of primary containment (LOPC)—all whilst also increasing profitability.

This success was driven by a comprehensive programme focussed on three pillars, namely Culture, Digital, and Simplification.

In terms of culture, Shell implemented a campaign “Learner Mindset” to promote continuous learning from experiences and mistakes. This involves upskilling its team in investigation processes, providing training for frontline staff, and implementing the Contractor Safety Management programme which ensures everyone goes home safely.

Shell also utilised several innovative tools, including the SONAR Digital Tool, which standardised assurance activities like site walks and audits; Sphera Digital Tool, which tracks learnings from incidents and allows ongoing training based on past events; and the eMOC (electronic Management of Change) system, which simplifies processes for implementing changes in plants and sites.

With regards to simplification, Shell streamlined its Hazards and Effects Management Process (HEMP) to focus on risk-based safety management. Its Safety Management System transitioned to ISO standards, leveraging best practices in safety, environment, and asset management. Moreover, it has promoted strong line risk ownership by providing clear instructions and training for frontline staff.

This initiative paved the way for Shell Singapore to win Health and Safety Initiative of the Year - Singapore.

‘People-powered’ strategy

The APAC Lubricants Supply Chain (LSC) employs a "people-powered" strategy centred around the 4E framework: Engaged, Energised, Empowered, and Equipped. This approach, which falls under the “Making It Real” campaign, involves meticulous planning and collaboration throughout the value chain, along with the Continuous Improvement tool—PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)—to gather feedback and refine processes.

To engage its team, Shell held an Extended Leadership Team (ELT) meeting in Jakarta with about 150 participants for alignment and team building. It also conducted quarterly webcasts for the entire team, as well as organised monthly smaller team engagements and leadership visits to manufacturing sites and warehouses in each country. 

Efforts to energise the team include the implementation of a comprehensive Rewards and Recognition Program, setting clear goals in January and reviewing Individual Development Plans (IDP) every six months, providing regular coaching from leadership to key talents, and holding a flagship People Development Week (PDW) with programmes focussed on employee skill and career development.

Shell then empowered and equipped them by offering commercial exposure through customer and supplier site visits, joining external conferences to bring in best practices, fostering a learner mindset culture, and implementing extensive upskilling programmes in both hard skills (supply chain and commercial) and soft skills (leadership, public speaking, and presentation).

As a result, Shell’s yearly People Survey achieved a 96% response rate, with the team’s focus on the 4E strategy leading to top quartile scores in 12 out of 13 dimensions. 

Shell Singapore’s approach allowed the company to win People Development Initiative of the Year - Singapore.

From breakdowns to breakthroughs: Transforming maintenance with operator care and digitalisation integration programme

The Shell Company of Thailand Limited was awarded Operations and Maintenance Initiative of the Year - Thailand for its efforts in transforming maintenance and operator care, as well as its digitalisation integration programme.

Thailand Lubricant Oil Blending Plant (LOBP) is part of Shell's Plant of the Future programme, which serves as a model for best practices in agile and competitive manufacturing. The plant's five-year roadmap (2021 to 2025) focusses on leadership, continuous improvement (CI) capability, best-in-class practices, total preventive maintenance (TPM), and sustainability. 

In 2023, the Thailand team transformed maintenance practices under the TPM initiative. They shifted from corrective and preventive maintenance to a predictive maintenance model through the Operator Care and Digitalization Integration Program. The project encourages continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration between maintenance and production teams.

This project’s key focus areas include digital operator care, digital pump vibration AI, digital safety equipment mapping, and digital safe to load.

The Asian Oil and Gas Awards recognises the most outstanding players in Asia's oil and gas sector. The awards programme is for companies that have risen above various challenges and remained steadfast despite a very challenging environment. It further honours those with successful strategies and initiatives in adapting to the new reality and those that push for digital transformation.

The Asian Oil & Gas Awards is presented by Asian Power Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding contributions and initiatives in the oil and gas sector in Asia, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].