Petro Middle East Since 1995: Commitment to Quality in the Gulf’s Oil, Gas, and Utility Sectors
Expanding horizons
Since it was established in 1995, Petro Middle East (PME) has remained resolute in its objective to serve the UAE market and neighbouring Gulf States with high quality support services and equipment suitable for oil and gas, petrochemical and utility applications.
With a core business in engineering products and services, PME collaborates with high-end principal manufacturers to deliver forefront solutions. In the last year alone the business has made significant leaps not least through strengthening its portfolio with additional services including new leading principals in the areas of HSE, integrity, MFL-free swimming and pipe weld UT inspection.
“We are focusing on new profitable segments within the oil and gas industry,” notes Jamal Zaher, managing partner. “We have achieved our recent growth through daily monitoring of performance, new strategic sales and marketing plans, and implementing recovery procedures to overcome and avoid slippages. We are applying ‘Lessons Learned’ principles to each order we win or lose to try and avoid the reoccurrence of failure factors, whilst focusing on our strengths. We have also identified those areas that require more development such as increased involvement in handling major EPCs and end users. Our ambition is to cross the 100 million Dhs (UAE dirham) barrier to reach 125 million Dhs turnover for 2012.”
Developments have also been made within the structure of the PME Group itself, with the business now consisting of four companies in order to broaden its horizons further. This includes three key joint ventures, namely TSS4U – a solar energy specialist from the Netherlands, Rohr Rein Chemie Middle East, a South African industrial chemical cleaning company, and Pressbolt Middle East, an Italian studbolt and fastener manufacturer. Completing the Group is 100 per cent PME-owned local trading organisation Automation & Control Industrial System, which works in the fields of import, electronic trading, electrical appliance trading, mechanical equipment trading, and oil and natural gas field equipment system and spare parts trading. All four of these companies are housed within the PME facility in the Mussafah Industrial Area, encompassing 3000 square metres of workshop, warehouse and office capabilities. The Automation Centre works as an authorised service and repair centre in the UAE for Biffi Actuators and many ther products. PME managed to get the initial approval for the 1st long-term service agreement with TAKREER Ruawis Refinery.
The oil and gas market within the UAE, and particularly Abu Dhabi, is especially dynamic and continuously progressing due to the rise in crude oil value. This leads to investment in both the development of brown field sites and the construction of new green fields. “With such a huge development, it is natural that new clients are entering into a market that is recognised for its opportunities,” highlights Jamal. “Therefore we are working to improve and enhance our business relationship with our existing clients, and to introduce new quality services for advancement such as well integrity solutions and consultancy services through integration with highly reputable international companies.
Sinan Abu Hantash – sales TL elaborates: “Given the high demand from end users, we have established a new sales division for Integrity Services, which works simultaneously with market trends towards safer, more reliable and environmentally friendly working environments. We are close to concluding a new deal for the latest technology in free-swimming pipeline inspection tools from ten inch to 56 inch diameters, which will enhance and improve our portfolio and serve the market with superior technologies. We are also proud to be able to offer one of the most essential pieces of software in the market today, the ‘Well Integrity Management System’ in co-operation with M/S Exprosoft Norway.”
Since March 2011 PME’s Project Development Department has participated in and supported many EPC contractors on major projects within the region. With the continuous support of its principals PME has managed to secure significant orders with leading EPCs including Petrofac, CCC, NPCC, Technip, Saipem, L&T, Tecnimont and Punj Lloyd. Elaborating on the scope of some of these relationships, projects development manager, Yasser Al Alami explains: “We have been participating with Petrofac on a new QP-Gas sweetening facility, the Badra project in Iraq and Somatrach Insalah project in Algeria. Elsewhere we have been working with NPCC on the Adco Thamama G and Qusawira project, Adma 100 MBD project, and several other contracts in ONGC. We’ve also undertaken works on a sulphur handling terminal for the Shah gas development project for CCC, and a full field development project at Zadco Sateh with Technip.”
Indeed, whilst other markets have suffered from the downturn the oil and gas market has been somewhat separate from this. The project cycle within the industry is showing a tendency towards offshore projects for the coming three years, although a lot of FEED studies are also ongoing for onshore projects. “If the current crude oil process remains at the same level, we will witness a higher growth in the Abu Dhabi market,” agrees Rabieh Ghossainy – assistant general manager: “Currently, as part of our continuous development we are studying our hit ratio. In 2011 our total bid values exceeded 750 million Dhs, but our hit ratio was only 15 per cent. At this time we are looking to increase our hit ratio to 25 per cent, therefore aiming to achieve 250 million Dhs by 2013.”
Jamal Zaher concludes with his thoughts on the future: “We are adding new services to our portfolio in engineering consultancy, HSE, and HAZOP consultancy services, which will have a positive additional contribution to PME projects. The main objective for the coming years is to establish a joint venture with an EPC contractor to conduct small scale projects in the same oil and gas sector, which will allow us to provide full scale services for the Abu Dhabi market.
Petro Middle East (PME)
Services: Oil field supplies / services with specialised solutions