SCOTTISH pipeline technology specialists STATS Group is expanding its operations Down Under.
The firm, based in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, is investing up to $2mAUD (£1m) in Australia’s pipeline market.
STATS Group has secured contracts in the oil and gas and LNG (liquified natural gas) sectors and wants to consolidate its presence in the country.
A workshop and storage facility close to Perth, Western Australia, has been secured.
The firm is recruiting local field and workshop technicians and a lead project engineer to support an increase in demand for the group’s services.
The new Perth base will act as STATS’ intervention hub for Asia Pacific (APAC) clients.
The hub will make it easier to ship equipment between key markets, minimising freight costs and importantly reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
STATS Group’s regional manager for APAC, Gareth Campbell, said Australia was a commercially attractive market which offered regular year-on-year opportunities with clients who were receptive to new and innovative technology.
He said: “Our technology is a strong differentiator for Australian clients who are looking for solutions, particularly for high pressure systems.
“In addition to day-to-day business with the leading gas operators working in the gas distribution and transmission space, there is also continued large scale investment by the majors in new fields, tie backs and other projects, offering us the opportunity to get involved in large isolation projects and subsequent growth potential.”
He added: “We are well established in the Australian energy sector and have an extensive track record of completed projects.
“So the next natural step was to strengthen our physical presence, and establishing a formal entity along with this significant investment is being widely welcomed by our customers and suppliers.”
STATS’ principal activity is the provision of pressurised pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to the global oil, gas and petrochemical industries.
As well as Kintore, Aberdeenshire, the group operates in Edmonton, Canada, Houston, USA; Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
