Petrotech Enterprises LLC: Building Success in the Middle East’s Oil and Gas Industry
Going with the flow
Operating in the Middle East, one of the oil and gas industry’s busiest hubs, it can be difficult for a company to stand out in the market, but Petrotech Enterprises LLC has achieved this by building a business on diversity and reliability.
As a tight-knit group of companies, it has a portfolio of more than 25,000 products as well as support services for clients throughout the energy and utilities industries. The group is now looking to expand its services even further afield, into the rapidly emerging alternative fuel sector, including the compressed natural gas (CNG) sector.
Group head of business development Harsh Sharma talks about the company in greater depth: “Petrotech was established in 1973 in Dubai, a major regional centre for the oil and gas industry, to provide the essential products and services required by process industries. Under the guidance of managing director Murli Odhrani, it has become one of the most trusted and leading suppliers of instrumentation and control hardware and process solutions, bulk piping and flow line materials, valves, hoses, filtration systems, hand tools, industrial chemicals, and various related accessories.”
Where Petrotech has succeeded is in acquiring the highest quality products for its inventory whilst being able to sell them at very competitive prices. Of all its suppliers, the Parker Hannifin Corporation is its biggest, providing Petrotech with a wide range of instrumentation and verification products for use by oil and gas companies. However, it also has a long list of additional prominent suppliers including Conbraco Industries, Apollo Valves, Midland ACS, Westlock Controls, Georgin, Nouva Fima, Tungum, Hip, Alcon Ludecke and Dixon, Rotelmann, Racor, KS Tools and Skyes Pickavant amongst many others.
On 3rd Feburary 2011, Petrotech entered into a partnership with Hale Hamilton, a supplier of high-pressure valve regulators and hydraulic systems. A crucial motivating factor for both these companies is shared interest in alternative fuel applications for which such valves are important components. In particular, because the region’s market for it remains relatively small, CNG has become a focal point for the two companies.
“As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) serves as a gateway into the untapped Middle East CNG market,” Harsh explains. “In today’s environment, health and energy security are driving investment in alternative fuel infrastructure. Hale Hamilton and we, therefore, have decided to put our efforts into moving forward toward becoming the foremost suppliers of CNG process components and systems in the region.”
The deal will see Hale Hamilton’s entire pressure and flow control range available in the UAE for the first time, with Petrotech providing complete aftersales services. Gas companies in the region will have access to Hale Hamilton’s high quality CNG control and distribution equipment including control skids, buffer skids and priority fill panels, boosting the sector’s local potential.
Petrotech continues to supports its traditional sectors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, however. The group is comprised four national companies: Pioneer Oilfield Enterprises in Oman; Petrotech Establishement in Kuwait; Petrotech Enterprises Pvt Ltd in India; and Petrotech Enterprises in the UAE. This latter company was established in 2009 following the discovery of large oil deposits around Abu Dhabi that came under the control of major Petrotech client Emirates. This act displays the group’s ongoing commitment to providing one-stop solutions for its client throughout traditional market sectors. Other regular clients include major names such as Saipem, Dubai Dry-Docks, Arab Heavy Industry, Maritime Industrial Service, Crescent Petroleum, Petrofac, Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), BP Dubai, and the Dubai and Sharjah electricity and water authorities as well as engineering project management companies such as Worley Parsons, EIL, Flour, PDO, Oxy, Petrofac and Emmar.
“At Petrotech we have a strong team of engineers trained extensively according to our customer service principals,” comments Harsh. “Our objective is to provide technical expertise and reliable solutions to clients. We have on many occasions teamed up with them to cater to projects with special requirements and, along with their support, have been instrumental in providing key engineering solutions. They make good use of our experience, knowledge and engineering consultancy that comes with all of our products.”
With a strong history behind it, Petrotech pulled through the financial crisis with a number of major contracts. Over the last few years it was involved with such projects as the design and installation of automated electrical hoists for The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping malls, and the supplying critical engineering equipment to UN and NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. With the establishment of its Abu Dhabi branch, as well as its foray into the alternative fuel sector, the future for Petrotech looks to be bright.
Harsh Sharma concludes with confidence in the next few years: “Challenges are always there but we are expecting exciting developments in the pipeline, gas processing, petrochemical and refining markets throughout Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. In five years time we hope to be one of the top ten engineering products and services company in the Middle East.”
Petrotech Group
Products: Process control equipment