NOV Tuboscope

Protecting the future

Based in Dubai, in the UAE, NOV Tuboscope Middle East is a division of global oilfield product provider National Oilwell Varco.

Tuboscope was formed in the early 1930s, and it provides both internal and external coatings for drill pipe, tubing, casing and line pipe and the inspection, repair and maintenance of OCTG and drilling equipment. The combined products and services offered by NOV Tuboscope are better known as Corrosion Control Solutions.

Whilst NOV Tuboscope benefits from being part of such an established group within the oil and gas industry, it also retains its own reputation within the market. Jack Dyer, sales manager of NOV Tuboscope in the Middle East, elaborates: “One of the important parts of our business is that we maintain brand recognition within the industry whilst still being part of a global group. Our Tube-Kote (TK) coating products, TCS hardbanding products and TruScope, Sonoscope and Amalog inspection brands have set the standard within our industry for many years.”

NOV Tuboscope works with a number of key national and international oil companies in the region, such as Saudi Aramco, Maersk Oil Qatar, Petroleum Development Oman and Kuwait Joint Operations (which is a joint venture comprised of Saudi Arabian Chevron and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company). With regards to its inspection and maintenance services, NOV Tuboscope operates in all of the major oil and gas producing countries – in particular, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen. In addition to these oil and gas producers, the other market that NOV Tuboscope services are drill pipe manufacturers and drilling contractors, and the client base here includes drilling contractors like Weatherford, Schlumberger, Noble, and ENSCO.

Jack talks about some of the key strengths that allow NOV Tuboscope to secure contracts with such key players within the industry: “There are a number of reasons why our company stands out, one of which is our experience in the industry, our global capabilities and the reputation of our products and services. This is further supplemented by our rigorous quality control measures and management systems. Another benefit is that all of the products and equipments that we use here at Tuboscope are derivatives of the company. We engineer, design, manufacture and use all of our own equipment and coatings, which have been developed specifically for the oil and gas industry.”

NOV Tuboscope is looking to build upon its success in the Middle East by expanding upon its coating capabilities. Jack explains: “We have recently automated our external coating application facility in Oman, whilst adding to our TK-Liner product line. We are also expanding in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, where we are building a new internal pipe coating facility, to be completed by June 2010.

“This has required a significant investment by National Oilwell Varco, and its eventual aim will be to bring NOV Tuboscope’s internal coating services directly to the Middle East market, meaning that coatings will no longer have to be applied at facilities outside of the region. Our reasons for pursuing this strategy stem from the fact that, historically, all of the pipes used by the operators in this region were externally sourced. Now that steel mills are manufacturing seamless pipes here in the region, the purchasing strategy for some oil companies could change – and we are changing with it.”

NOV Tuboscope is also bringing a new advanced inspection system to the region, called TrueScope AS. This advanced in-line inspection system combines ultrasonic and electro-magnetic technologies into a single high speed intelligent pipe inspection system, and this will be implemented at a new tubular processing facility in Saudi Arabia. Also, the company is developing a new pipe inspection yard in Abu Dhabi as part of its overall Middle East expansion plan, which is focused on brining new technologies and infrastructure to the local market.

An important contributor to the company’s ongoing expansion strategy is the breakthroughs made by its research and development department, according to Jack: “We are always monitoring at the operating conditions of the various oilfields, and observing the production fluids that are coming from them. We examine the amount of water flood along with new methods of enhanced oil recovery systems used by operators. This can mean upgrading temperature capabilities or the chemical or corrosion resistance of our products accordingly.”

All of this work is carried out in close cohesion with NOV Tuboscope’s clients, and Jack highlights: “We work directly with them in their monitoring, helping them come up with corrosion control solutions for their developing or mature fields. They can provide valuable feedback on our products and therefore the relationships we hold with them are extremely important.”

With such a busy schedule ahead, the future looks positive for NOV Tuboscope, and Jack concludes: “I firmly believe that NOV Tuboscope will be a major contributor to the corrosion control solutions for most oil companies in the Middle East region. We are making our products more accessible to the region, and we are extremely excited about the future growth here. We see the Middle East as a definite source of sustainable energy, and we aim to be a key provider of local services as it moves forward.”

NOV Tuboscope

Products Pipe coating and corrosion control solutions