SPETCO: Three Decades at the Forefront of Oil and Gas Innovations
Pioneering spirit
For more than three decades SPETCO has been a leader in the provision of pioneering, world-class solutions and services to the oil and gas industry.
The company is renowned for its role in revolutionising the industry in its home market of Kuwait, and has a proven reputation for being able to resolve complex problems across the entire value chain, from upstream to midstream production and process requirements.
“We have been successfully operating for 35 years now in the oil and gas business,” says Calum McEwan, general manager of SPETCO. “Essentially we are a service provider to the oil and gas sector, although our main activities can be loosely broken into three main areas; production facilities, power plant, and well testing services. Our head office and major operations are in Kuwait and our key clients include Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and Saudi Arabian Chevron, we also have a branch and facility in Abu Dhabi holding contracts with ADCO, ADMA & ZADCO.
Through its operations SPETCO positions itself as a diverse solutions provider relying on its proven ability to solve complex industryrelated challenges associated with artificial lifting systems, well testing and diagnostics services, production facilities, and power generation projects. This is possible due to the company’s highly experienced and expertly skilled employees, who have a wide range of design, process, fabrication and process knowledge, and allow SPETCO to carry out even the mostdemanding projects.
SPETCO’s operations are divided among three operating divisions – Oil & Gas Well Services Division, Oil & Gas Projects Division, and Power Projects Division. The former is where a large majority of its key services lie, such as well testing, artificial lift equipment, well diagnostics,and wellhead and well completion services. “Previously our focus was predominantly in the production facilities, providing a range of services,” comments Calum. “We have been focusing increasingly on well services, where we work closely with the operators at the production facilities covering the entire range of solutions they need in terms of reservoirs and production testing, as well as the installations of equipment.
“For example, in the field of well production testing, we currently have eight test separator units in operation with KOC and in additionwe have two units working in joint operations, all of which are operational on a daily basis,” he continues. For surface production testing operations SPETCO uses both two-phaseand three-phase separator units. These move between locations at the well to test a range of parameters at the site, including gas oil ratiotests and initial production tests.
Also under the banner of oil and gas services is the provision of artificial lift equipment and services, in particular sucker rod pumping systems. “We’ve recently won a contract for artificial lifting systems, which is now underway to install over 200 units for KOC, and we are also working with a foreign company as well, so it’s an area that we see a lot of future work in. It will also be one of the areas that we look to diversify in over the coming years. There is a real increase in drilling in Kuwait, so we hope to adddifferent types of artificial lift solutions so thatwe can really provide our clients with a completepackage.”
SPETCO’s Oil & Gas Projects Divisionspecialises in handling engineering procurementand construction (EPC) and lease contracts for production systems and production facilities. These include gas sweetening facilities, gas compression and re-injection facilities, andearly production facilities, and the company is responsible for engineering, designing,constructing and commissioning the site inco-operation with the clients.
While SPETCO already provides a vast array of solutions, Calum feels that this diversification is important for the future of the company: “The focus previously has been on acting as more of an agent for our clients,” he explains. “But we are really aiming to give ourclients a complete solution rather than them having to deal with us and other companies during a project. The ultimate aim is to provide a true one-stop service along with the associated expertise and knowledge.”
While there is little doubt that SPETCO has the skill to provide this level of service, Calum points out that one challenge is how, locally, clients can often overlook expertise. “Locally we do experience problems with many companies choosing to deal more with the original manufacturers or larger national companies thanwith organisations like SPETCO. This meansthat local companies have often suffered in the market, which is something that clearly needs to change in the future so that we have the same opportunities in the market as the international, major businesses.”
Whether this changes in the short-term or is a slower process there is little doubt that SPETCO will be one business that retains its sterling reputation in the local market. In order to protect this reputation into the future, the company has made some important changes, as he summarises: “We have changed the management structure of the business so that we are really encouraging the younger blood that is coming through as their new ideas and enthusiasm to succeed installs a fresh approach into an established company. These people are very knowledgeable and they truly represent the future of SPETCO.”
SPETCO (Safwan Petroleum Technologies Company)
Services: Diverse Solutions for oil and gas