Koller Solutions
Down to the wire
“Next year, towards the end of the autumn, we are expecting to bring customers from all over the world here to celebrate,” reveals Werner Meyer, general sales manager of Koller Solutions.
The celebration he is referring to is the 100-year anniversary of this multi-dimensional company based in Celle, Germany. Founded by Ferdinand Koller in 1912, the company originally existed as a small drilling operation that profited as more oil and gas companies settled in Celle in the decades that followed.
Today Koller exists as two separate divisions, Koller Maschienen- und Anlagenbau GmbH and Koller Workover and Drilling GmbH. The former specialises in the design and fabrication of pressure producing installations, special machines, structural steelwork and well servicing products like wireline units, while the latter provides a range of services supporting the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Currently the company has production facilities stretching over 70,000 square metres and has plans to double its capacities in the next several years.
Just some of the products Koller Solutions manufactures and provides include high-pressure power units, control units for wellheads, wireline units and components for pumping. Its products have a prominent role in the operations of a number of well-known companies, as Werner explains: “Koller Solutions’ test devices, such as calibration devices for drilling motors, are supplied all over the world. We supply workshop equipment to Baker Hughes and you will find our calibration units and (workshop) equipment in every Baker Hughes site in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”
In February Koller Solutions invited figures from the oil and gas industry to an in-house event designed to introduce current and potential clients to its wireline solutions. Capitalising on the growing market for this technology, Koller Solutions has incorporated this business area into its product portfolio: “We have so many contacts in this market sector and have the experience behind us to grow in this area. Customers come to us and tell us what they need so we know there is a demand and focus for wireline systems and we definitely have the capabilities to service these needs,” Werner enthuses.
Bold new innovations like Koller Solutions’ wireline systems emphasise its development strengths. As Werner highlights, a team of over 20 designers work to meet the specific requirements of its customers: “We have a contract with MB Petroleum Services to supply wireline units in Oman and supplying to the Middle East obviously requires a few changes to be made in the product specifications in order to deal with extreme conditions like intense heat. The other big news is that we have begun designing wireline units for offshore work, so that is very exciting.”
The high regard that Koller Solutions is held in by the big oil and gas companies across the globe can be seen in some of the projects it has begun and completed over the past six months. In August 2010 it completed the first order of high-pressure well service pumps for Halliburton Italy in Ortona. The K1 pump unit, used to pump and boost the pressure of drilling liquids, was directly tested and commissioned by the two companies to mark the first stage of their fabrication frame contract.
November 2010 then marked the completion of the manufacture of subsea frame for the USAN project on behalf of Cameron. This large project required putting all of the company’s resources into the production of 33 foundation base frames, 42 subsea umbilical termination units, eight subsea distribution units, nine bridge jumpers and over 60 subsea controlling module mounting base frames. What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that this work was not due to be completed until March 2011. Upon application this equipment will be put to use in the Usan oilfield on the coast of Nigeria. Expected to come on-stream in early 2012 it is thought to contain some 500 million barrels of oil.
Projects like these showcase the flexibility that gives Koller Solutions one of its major unique selling points: “As a company we look at the whole industry with a 180 degree view,” Werner says, whilst also pointing out the high quality of the products the company manufactures: “We have the capabilities to build and supply high end, high quality equipment. Today everyone is looking for the highest standards to be maintained, especially in light of incidents like the accident in the Gulf of Mexico, and we meet all the necessary requirements that prove our products’ reliability.”
With new solutions being perfected and opportunities arising in new areas of the industry, the focus for Koller Solutions going forward is on doubling its capacities and increasing turnover. As Werner concludes the signs are that a positive future awaits the company: “During the recession we managed to minimise job loses and 2010 was a very successful year for us. In 2011 we expect much the same in terms of turnover and in 2012 we anticipate having even more success.”
Koller Solutions
Products: Wireline solutions, structural steelwork and special machines