john Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions and a business of Smiths Group plc, has signed a major Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with a large international energy company, formalising a long-term partnership focused on improving equipment reliability, standardising performance across global operations and addressing critical challenges in seal management.
For several years, the operator had been working to shift its strategic focus from equipment availability to long-term reliability. Variations in sealing technology, differing service levels across regions and fragmented supplier models were contributing to inconsistent reliability performance and avoidable downtime at a number of sites. The customer required a unified global approach that would bring consistency, accountability and measurable improvement to high-criticality equipment.
John Crane demonstrated its ability to solve these challenges through the successful delivery of a structured Managed Reliability Programme (MRP) at one of the operator’s flagship refineries, now considered its best-performing site for seal reliability. The programme introduced standardised reliability methodologies, proactive failure prevention and tighter lifecycle governance, leading to significant performance improvement. This success prompted the operator’s global leadership team to seek a broader, long-term agreement.
Under the multi-year framework, John Crane will provide a comprehensive range of sealing technologies and lifecycle services, including pump mechanical seals, compressor dry gas seals, seal support systems, reliability programmes, field service engineering, failure analysis and training. The agreement provides the customer with a consistent reliability model across all participating sites.
Through this unified approach, the customer will benefit from:
· Improved operational reliability and uptime, driven by consistent application of reliability methodologies
· Proactive failure prevention, supported by structured lifecycle programmes and technical governance
· Reduced complexity, through consolidation of sealing and service expertise
· Stronger compliance with international standards, including API and wider industry guidance
· More efficient long-term planning, enabled by harmonised service delivery and predictable technical support.
The GFA also aligns with the customer’s ambition to streamline supplier engagement and strengthen global reliability governance across its asset base. The agreement creates a pathway for expanded dry gas seal support, enhanced lifecycle optimisation and broader reliability improvements across multiple regions.
“Our customers operate some of the most complex equipment in the world, and achieving reliability at scale requires consistency, discipline and strong technical partnership,” said Philippe Lambert, Vice President, Commercial & Service at John Crane. “Through this agreement, we will support the customer in building a unified, global reliability framework that reduces operational risk, improves uptime and ensures their critical rotating equipment performs predictably and efficiently.”
