products and services
Expro
Expro strengthens presence in Brazil The significant opportunities that exist in the Brazil oil and gas market are ideally suited to the portfolio and expertise of leading international oilfield services company Expro. The company already employs more than 200 people in Brazil and is planning to break ground on a new facility in Macae during 2010 which will further enhance its presence and capabilities in this exciting region. With most of the world’s ‘easy’ oil already extracted from onshore and shallow water reserves, deepwater exploration and production is now the focal point for many operators in the global oil and gas industry. Deepwater environments, such as in Brazil, brings fresh challenges in terms of new technology advancements. Expro’s investment and track record in developing subsea technology means that the company is a major player in the deepwater industry. Expro is a market leader in subsea landing string technology, with an established track record in the deepwater regions of the world, including Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. Ensuring safe operations becomes more challenging as deepwater environments present harsher operating conditions in terms of pressure, temperature and requires optimum equipment reliability. For example, maintaining well control throughout well commissioning and intervention processes is vital and temporary subsea safety systems (landing strings) are deployed for this purpose. To meet the challenges of such deepwater operations, Expro developed its range of Expro Landing String Assembly (ELSA) technology, including the large mono-bore ELSA high debris (HD) and the ELSA high pressure (HP) systems as well as ELSA dual bore (DB), all of which are used in conjunction with the
Express 7 electro-hydraulic (EH) controls to meet the specific needs encountered in deepwater environments. “Expro’s well flow management products and services complement Brazil’s needs,” said Hank Glansbeek, Region Business Development/Technical Manager, Expro Latin America. “Our ability to complete subsea wells using our large bore technologies, which are suited for deepwater plays, is the ideal solution for the Brazilian market. “So far, Expro has introduced a small portion of our entire product portfolio in Brazil, but we are continuing to develop new technologies and bringing in new products frequently. We expect many new opportunities as our portfolio of products and services increases in the local market.” Expro also has an established global reputation for the manufacture and delivery of market-leading subsea connector and measurement technology. Connectors & Measurements in Brazil is continuously improving its presence in the country in order to provide an enhanced level of services and a world-class team to support Expro’s customer base. Expro is soon to introduce a groundbreaking system which will provide a step change in the way operators can access and intervene in their subsea wells. Expro’s AX-S (pronounced ‘access’) deepwater intervention system is one of the most significant and innovative pieces of technology the subsea industry has seen. Current methods for servicing subsea wells generally require the use of a rig to be positioned above the well while this work is carried out, which is a timeconsuming, costly activity. AX-S provides a safe, riser-less and remotely operated subsea well interven-
Photo: Divulgação Expro
Company’s full package of solutions ideal for South America’s largest country
tion solution, which is deployed from a boat. The system, which will be launched this year, is the first intervention technology which can operate efficiently at depths up to 10,000ft (3,000m), allowing operators to significantly increase production rates and ultimate recovery from subsea wells. Expro first established a presence in Brazil in 1995. The acquisition of PowerWell Services in 2006 greatly enhanced Expro’s footprint in Brazil, giving the company well testing and subsea capabilities and a strong equipment rental business. This provided Expro with an enhanced business base and has allowed the company to introduce additional products and services. “We are moving from a business model that evolved around equipment sales to one that gives us the ability to offer whatever our client needs, whenever and wherever it is needed,” Glansbeek said. He is an oil & gas industry veteran who joined Expro in 1993. Glansbeek brings a wealth of offshore and well testing experience, having recently held management positions for Expro in the UK and the Gulf of Mexico. Expro’s goal is to become a complete well flow management service provider, as the company introduces additional downhole tools and sampling in the coming months. Glansbeek is confident in Expro’s success in Brazil due to its track record and experience in well testing, as well as a comprehensive set of proven tools to meet the needs of the market place.
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