Metacor expands reach to key markets with new offices in the Middle East and Americas

Citation

(2008), "Metacor expands reach to key markets with new offices in the Middle East and Americas", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 55 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2008.12855bab.015

Metacor expands reach to key markets with new offices in the Middle East and Americas

Article Type: Industrial news From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 55, Issue 2.

GLOBAL external corrosion management specialist Metacor is expanding its international operations with new offices in Trinidad and Qatar, as it responds to growing demand from the oil and gas industry. The firm, headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, is servicing a growing client list in the world's major energy provinces and recent surges in activity in the Middle East and southern Americas have prompted the move. Metacor already counts five of the major oil and gas exploration and production operators BP, Shell, Talisman, Hess and Nexen among its clients and is a leading player in offshore maintenance monitoring.

The industry continues to respond to the need to monitor the condition of assets from offshore oil rigs including vital components such as walkways and other vital safety critical components to land-based infrastructure. Managing director Stuart Mortimer said: “Operators in every global oil and gas producing region are taking external corrosion management and planning very seriously and the level of demand we are experiencing continues to grow.” “Our move to provide bases for a rapidly expanding list of clients in Doha and Port of Spain ensures that our personnel, who are capable of assessing and advising on external corrosion in any environment, can respond quickly and in-person.”

It has Europe's largest complement of NACE-accredited coating inspectors and resources around the globe, with highly experienced inspection manager Dereck Smith heading up the Qatar operation as regional manager for the Middle East in Doha.

Dereck Smith has already spent 18 years in corrosion management and inspection in the Middle East, one of the oil and gas industry's biggest production regions, and is one of Metacor's team of 19 NACE-certified inspectors. “The industry has changed a lot in the last decade. Companies now realise that treating the symptoms of the planned treatment of external corrosion is an absolute necessity rather than something that can get done when they get around to it,” he says. “External corrosion management is now a significant growing market in the Middle East and we are ideally placed to respond to the needs of major operators and oil and gas service companies, with our global knowledge.” In addition to his detailed work in inspection management, Mr Smith has also devised and conducted inspection training courses for the industry.

Frank Walsh, an ICorr-accredited coatings inspector with more than 30 years experience in the oil and gas, industrial and marine sectors will lead Metacor's work as Country Manager in Trinidad and Tobago on an initial pilot project. “Establishing a base in Trinidad will allow us to further expand our work with the local market and that in turn will increase new job and training opportunities for the local workforce as we respond to a growing client list in the region,” said Mr Walsh.

Metacor is the industry-leading system which predicts the risk of corrosion-related failure of assets, their lifespan and future maintenance requirements through detailed inspection and logging. Based around a simple, fully auditable computer software system, Metacor can be used in any environment in any global location. The system was developed to give asset managers the tools to keep corrosion under control.

More information is available from the web site located at: www.metacor.co.uk