Expro North Sea
Grow with the flow
For oil companies operating high value oil and gas wells around the world, Expro is the first preference when addressing their well flow management requirements.
Expro’s impeccable track record speaks volumes and the leading international oilfield service company represents an extremely safe choice in an industry when safe operations are paramount. Furthermore, Expro has built its stellar reputation on its ability to achieve results both on time and on budget, and it is this commitment that sets it apart from many other players in the market.
European Oil and Gas Magazine spoke to Expro’s business manager for continental Europe, George Galloway, to see how the company has been able to achieve so highly and what developments are the pipeline. “Expro is a global business that has been in existence for 30 years,” George says. “We started in the North Sea around the time that oil and gas was first discovered and since then the company has expanded considerably. We’re currently active in over 50 countries worldwide and we supply a range of services and products under the umbrella of well flow management.”
The success Expro has engineered is due, in part, to its determination to stand head and shoulders above rivals. Speaking about what makes the business thrive in a competitive market, George comments: “Our people set us apart – we have almost 5000 highly trained and motivated staff worldwide, who are all committed to the excellence of our operations.This ensures that we deliver high standards of safety, service quality and customer care to our client base, which includes Shell, Gas de France, ENI, Wintershall and Petro-Canada.”
With such a high profile show of support, it is no wonder Expro has been able to forge a livelihood spanning three decades. Variety of its offering has proved key and George was happy to outline the company’s focus areas: “Our services fall under the umbrella of well flow management, which means we provide products and services to measure, improve, process and control the flow of oil and gas from our clients’ wells.
“We’ve been a leading provider of well testing and commissioning for over 30 years. We carry out clean up work, which is when clients want to temporarily flow the wells to clean up, for example, a gas well that’s producing some sand. We undertake wireline intervention and we’re the market leader for providing through tubing wireline service, and additionally we provide innovative tooling such as downhole video cameras and callipers. We supply production services and production personnel as well, specifically operators whom a number of our clients in this area require.”
Central to its capabilities is Expro’s dedication to innovation, which must always be at the forefront of its method for progression if the business is to maintain its edge over counterparts. “We invest a considerable amount in R&D through our centres of excellence, and we have developed a reputation for introducing cutting-edge technology to the market place,” George confirms. “The main centre in Europe is in Aberdeen, Scotland. In terms of products, we focus on a range of technology developments to assist our customers, including advancements in our well testing, subsea, wireline, connectors and measurements portfolios. As an example, we have developed and introduced non-intrusive clamp-on Expro metering technology to assist our customers to improve their wellhead production surveillance. We are also in the final stages of developing a revolutionary subsea well intervention technology which will mark a step change in the way operators can access their subsea wells in future.”
Moving on to discussing Expro’s current activities, George says: “We are continuing to work on a number of specific contracts with clients, such as Shell and Gas de France, and more recently we secured contract work with Takka. We have two established bases in continental Europe; one in the Netherlands and one in Italy, and from these bases we service significant contracts in Holland and Italy whilst expanding geographically – so, in addition, we’re supplying services to clients in Germany, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Growing our business through opening up new markets organically and through acquisitions is part of our strategy and Eastern Europe is one market where we are focusing on creating a bigger presence.”
As mentioned, safety is integral to the successful running of organisations in the oil and gas sector and Expro holds an outstanding record, validated by its continued acknowledgment by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, as George reveals: “We are recognised in our business as having a fantastic safety reputation and for four successive years we’ve been awarded the oil & gas sector award from RoSPA. We recognise the importance of maintaining a safe working environment.”
The company received the accolade after demonstrating a world-class safety performance across its business globally, including the best statistical safety performance over the past five years, excellent health and safety processes, and innovation in the training and development of employees. Speaking at the time about the company’s recurrent success, RoSPA awards manager David Rawlins commented: “Expro has shown a commitment to protecting the health and well-being of its employees and others. Winning a RoSPA Award reinforces the message that good health and safety is good for business and clearly demonstrates an organisation’s dedication to improving performance in this crucial area.”
This affirmation serves to further cement Expro’s status in the industry and George has confidence in the business’ future: “A combination of new technology and innovative ways of operating will help Expro to continue its successful growth strategy. Over time, competition from alternative energy resources and continued environmental pressures may impact our industry, but Expro is consistently developing solutions that enable us to move forward. We want to retain our position as a brand leader in Europe and grow our business with new clients entering the market, as well as maintaining business with existing clients.”
Expro North Sea
Industry: Well flow management services