VA LU E
A D D E D
O I L F I E L D
S E R V I C E S
( VA O S )
Resilient and
RESPONSIBLE Facing challenges with determination and tenacity, VAOS’s growth in spite of trying conditions is paying off in the form of a portfolio diversification, international expansion and improved client satisfaction Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Josh Hyland
stablished 35 years ago to provide comprehensive construction and maintenance services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industry in Libya, Value Added Oilfield Services (VAOS) has adapted to regional, cultural, political and industrial requirements in order to remain at the forefront of innovation and continuous improvement. Now operating as a privately-owned entity from its head office in Malta following a 1997 management buyout and relocation, the resultant provider still also enjoys Libya – as well as Austria - as two of its core presence points, and from these three bases is looking to expand its impressive remit around the world.
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“Although our core competence can be found in the revamping and building of storage tanks, our project references clearly portray a wide range of completed jobs covering a wide range of disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and environmental engineering, piping, insulation, coating, fire fighting systems, plant maintenance, hot tapping works, intelligent pigging, drilling for water wells, and cathodic protection,” introduces Managing Director, Christian Wintersteiger. “VAOS’s aim is to be a one-stop shop for its customers in Libya, servicing the mid and downstream infrastructures. “All-told, our footprint currently runs across Libya, Nigeria and Kuwait; the last two being new markets for us with a strong focus on nonman-entry tank cleaning and other environmental services such as oily pit cleaning and soil remediation. From these current markets we are planning to expand into neighbouring countries in that region to establish our organisation’s reach across North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa over the next five-10 years.”
This proactive approach is indicative not just of the Company’s footprint ambitions, but also VAOS’s ability to diversify its remit accordingly, and to then implement new and improved processes to facilitate such developments. Wintersteiger offers as examples: “As a consequence of unsatisfactory, historically messy and unhealthy manual tank cleaning jobs, mostly forming part of tank revamping projects, VAOS had invested into a BLABO® system to carry out tank cleaning jobs in a safe, fast and environmentally friendly way; and has become a partner of ORECO A/S for the automated recovery of hydrocarbons from sludge and nonman-entry cleaning of storage tanks. “VAOS is the only service provider in the field of ‘Automated Hydrocarbon Recovery and Tank Cleaning (AHRTC)’ in the Libyan market with a proven track record of successfully completed projects and an average recovery rate of 99 percent of hydrocarbons from crude oil sludge since 2003.”
Determination and tenacity
A track record such as this, complemented by unparalleled scales – including its drilling division’s ability