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Premium Threading Specialists Major Investment Pro
Founded in 1997 after a management buy-out, Mountwest Petroleum Engineering has established an unrivalled reputation for quality and service in threading and machining service.
As part of the Mountwest Group, the company operates from bases in Arbroath, Aberdeen, Montrose, Houston, Dubai and have recently established a base in China, offering the oil and gas industry a global machining service from pipe threading to the manufacture of downhole drilling tools.
Mountwest Petroleum Engineering have recently undergone a multi £m expansion programme which has a massive in vestment in plant, machinery and personnel.
For example, pipe handling capabilities have recently been expanded with investment in new machines, such as a 17 inch 60,000 foot pound torquing machine and a state-of-the-art swage-punch machine.
Neil Dewar, the General Manager, said “This is part of a programme of regular investment which has also included another CNC lathe and additional phosphating capacity to create a coupling cell, where the MPI process is now also completed.
The commitment to investment in new machinery and production processes has seen the customer base grow year on year.
Andy Grant, Business Development Manager explained; “Our services are centred around premium threading; we were one of the first licensees in the UK appointed by Vallourec and have since qualified on most Vallourec & Mannesmann connections and are licensees for major pipe mills including Tenaris and NS Connection Technology. Our large number of thread qualifications is a real strength.”
Andy Grant added; “We work directly for oil companies, pipe management companies and also various subcontractors who might do the lion’s share of the machining but rely on us for premium threading. Turn-key projects, where we manufacture and supply the complete finished component for companies such as Halliburton, Weatherford and Vetco Gray also form part of our portfolio”
As a subcontract company governed by customer requirements, Mountwest Petroleum Engineering has also been prepared to invest in additional improvements - such as E-Max, a new manufacturing control software tool - which maintain and enhance the already extremely high standards you might expect of a company that has held ISO 9001 almost since inception and that is now striving towards ISO 14001 and ISO 18001.
Mountwest Petroleum Engineering operates from a 95,000 square foot site with substantial hard standing that creates a competitive advantage in the size of pipe orders that can be taken on board.
Mountwest Petroleum Engineering’s culture of continuous investment is supported by a skilled and motivated workforce, whose experience and technical competence are crucial to the manufacturing and machining process. Though the company has seen a very low turnover of staff, growth of over 42% has necessitated significant recruitment programme in the last year. To meet this challenge, MPE also invested in its people by putting their charge-hands through a national ILM “Team Leaders” qualification.
Investing in people has had a major impact on staff retention and regular staff appraisals have reflected a positive, friendly working atmosphere within Mountwest Petroleum Engineering, this in turn has had a significant impact on customer satisfaction and work output. The company also addresses skills shortages by regularly taking on apprentices.
Although Mountwest Petroleum Engineering operates primarily within the oil and gas industry, they are looking towards the future with one eye on alternative. “It has been a boom time with oil recently but this is cyclical,” said Grant. “but we will look at other opportunities, which will definitely include renewable energy and aerospace”
As the UK’s smallest player in the niche market of premier threading, the company is well aware that the development of new markets both in industry and geographically will be a controlled development and will be part of the overall strategy for future investment,
Dewar added, “any diversification to counteract the fluctuations in the oil sector has to be strategically thought out, building on existing equipment, strengths and skills and investing in new technology when necessary. We certainly have the technical skills and commitment from the workforce to succeed in other markets”
New geographic markets do also present opportunities, he continued. “As a repair workshop we have to move where the business is and have been invited to consider opening a workshop in Libya. There are always opportunities in oil hotspots, and though we must factor in issues around political instability we’ve done our homework and have the skills and equipment to move fairly quickly when such uncertainties are clarified. We are also looking at China, possibly as part of a two-armed approach alongside Mountwest Services.
Further to the growth new opportunities might bring, it has been a good year for Mountwest Petroleum Engineering. A recent report by industry analysts Plimsoll showed sales growth to be very strong at 21%, an achievement Neil Dewar attributes in part to greater focus. “We have taken on a more targeted approach where improvement in meeting customer demands is key.
We believe that ‘customer satisfaction’ is at the heart of our success and in order to achieve this we have reorganised the workplace, production, manufacturing and the workforce and invested strategically to offer a total quality service. Our expectation is that this will be a very good year – and with the improved efficiencies resulting from this year’s investments it will be followed by more of the same!”
www.mountwestgroup.com
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