Downhole
Products bolsters global presence
Posted: 18 June 2003
New bases open in Houston, Louisiana, UAE and Venezuela
Downhole Products PLC, a specialist designer and manufacturer of
quality oilfield equipment, today announced that plans to strengthen
its presence globally are proceeding as planned.
With the addition of its new U.S. region headquarters in Houston,
manufacturing facilities in both the USA and Venezuela, and a regional
office for the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, the company is offering
much improved services to its customers worldwide.
Combined with the major expansion of Downhole Products’ international
headquarters in Aberdeen, it has been a dramatic year.
Expanded Aberdeen Headquarters Offers Major Benefits
In order to better serve its growing customer base, Downhole
Products has taken a number of significant steps during recent months,
beginning with a $750,000 extension of its world headquarters in
Aberdeen.
Located in the Badentoy Business Park, the company’s 27,000
square foot base is now more than twice the size. The new complex
offers significant benefits to clients and staff, with improved
operations, manufacturing and equipment warehouse facilities.
In addition to accommodating Downhole Engineering in the custom
built machine shop facility with new CNC machines, the new warehouse
houses a comprehensive range of solid centralisers and reamer shoes,
including the Spir-o-lizer, Spir-o-mizer and the Econ-o-lizer.
With approximately 25 permanent staff based in Aberdeen, Downhole
Products will continue to provide a comprehensive range of solid
centralisers and reamer shoes to the international oil and gas industry,
as well as quick response precision machining services to the aviation
and marine industries.
US presence strengthened with new facilities
This spring saw the opening of Downhole Products in the
United States, with a new regional US office in Houston.
“As Houston is the gateway to the North American market,
it is the perfect location for our new regional office. The new
facility will play a key role in Downhole Products’ ability
to keep pace with the demand we’re experiencing in North America,
particularly for our Spir-o-mizer and Econ-o-lizer centralisers
and Pen-o-trator reamer shoes,” said Bill Barron, Director
of Downhole Products.
“With our new manufacturing facilities, we have more than
doubled the company’s manufacturing capability. In addition,
we store approximately $4 million in equipment, which is good news
for customers in North America,” he added.
With 24 years in the oil industry, Kelly Smith, 48, was appointed
General Manager, U.S. for Downhole Products.
In his new role, Smith is based in Houston where he oversees all
aspects of operations and financial management for the company in
North America.
Before joining Downhole Products, Smith worked in a variety of
marketing and operational roles for Third Wave Group and Oiltools
International in Singapore. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Smith
is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and holds a Bachelor
of Science Degree from Oklahoma State University.
New Venezuela Base a Stepping Stone to South America
In a move to make it possible for customers operating in
South America to purchase quality equipment, Downhole Products has
opened a new manufacturing facility and company called Downhole
Products, Venezuela.
Venezuela is a “free trade” country that benefits from
the Andean Pact Treaty.
As a result, customers operating in South America can now purchase
Downhole Products’ goods, including centralisers and reamer
shoes, at an extremely competitive rate.
Jose Herrero, 39, has been appointed Director of Downhole Products
Venezuela C.A., South America.
Herrero is also responsible for all operations and finance, as
well as marketing activities throughout South America. Previously,
he was President of Herrero Supply of Maracaibo, Venezuela for seven
years, during which time he served as Downhole Products’ distributor
in Venezuela.
Herrero is from Venezuela and earned a BBA degree from Mercer University
in Atlanta, Georgia and a Master’s in Business Administration
from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
McRobbie Appointed Region Manager - Middle East
With a substantial and growing demand for its products
and services in the Middle East, Downhole Products has opened a
new base in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The new facility serves as the region headquarters, and accommodates
a substantial stock of Downhole Products equipment. George McRobbie,
49, has been appointed Sales Manager, Middle East for Downhole Products
to drive all new business development efforts in the region.
With 25 years experience in the oil industry, McRobbie has worked
for Downhole Products, Aberdeen for three years.
Previously, he was employed Odjfell Drilling of Aberdeen for five
years and has worked in a variety of roles, including tubular inspection
in Aberdeen and worldwide. A native of Aberdeen, Scotland, he is
now based in Abu Dhabi.
About Downhole Products
Downhole Products specialises in the design and manufacture
of specialist quality oilfield equipment for the international upstream
oil and gas industries.
Founded in 1994 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Downhole Products is known
throughout the industry for its range of solid centralisers and
reamer shoes.
The Spir-o-lizer, the company’s flagship solid body centraliser
that was introduced in 1994 remains the unrivalled industry first
choice, as illustrated by its successful performance in the Middle
East, Scandinavia, The Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. It offers
superior torque and drag reduction, with the lowest friction co-efficient
of any centraliser material available.
The Spir-o-lizer was followed by the introduction in 1998 of the
Pen-o-trator, a patented reamer shoe. The Pen-o-trator tool quickly
established itself as the Best in Class Reamer Shoe because of its
fast and easy drill-out ability, low torque reaming features, and
minimal surge pressure while running in-hole. In 2002, two new centraliser
products, the Spir-o-mizer and the Econ-o-lizer, were introduced
and continue to be used by major operators worldwide.
With more than $6 million in specialist stock housed at its Aberdeen
headquarters in addition to equipment located at strategic sites
worldwide, Downhole Products dispatches equipment daily by air,
sea and land around the world. As the leading centraliser design
and manufacturing company in Europe, most major operators have utilised
Downhole Products’ range of centralisers and reamer shoes
to maximise oil production performance safely and economically.
For more information see www.downhole.co.uk.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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