São Paulo – Chemtech, a Brazilian process optimisation company, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, should start developing projects for the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. The company, which belongs to Siemens, has had a representative office in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, for one year and in late 2011 should start forming a greater team for the region. According to the Chemtech Development and Business director for the Middle East, César Augustus Coelho Tavares, who operates in the region, another three professionals should soon join him. Up to September 2012, the group should reach 20 people.
Tavares was sent to Abu Dhabi – where he uses the Siemens structure – to develop a business plan for the region, learn about the market, its players and the best forms for operation. In the period, the chemical engineer made contacts in Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The idea is for operation to include 15 countries, among them Iran, Libya, Syria, etc. It has not yet been defined whether Chemtech will continue using the Siemens structure or if it will have its own structure in the Emirates.
According to Tavares, despite the Chemtech focus on the Middle East being the oil and gas sectors, operation in each country will have its particularities. While in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates the main demand is for innovation in processes, in Qatar the demand is for lower environmental emissions and in Iraq for more basic services and heavy engineering. According to the engineer, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are the most advanced in the region and competing in heavy engineering in these countries is no longer viable, due to competition.
Chemtech offers optimisation turned to the processing industry, which includes refineries, petrochemical companies, chemical companies and the pulp and paper sector. The company was initially established by three chemical engineers, friends who also dominated the area of information technology. It started operating turned to the petrochemical industry and later turned to other sectors, but always focussing primarily on the processing industry.
Services include from improved energy efficiency of a refinery to something more specific like the improvement of level control in a fuel or water tank. The process is normally reproduced in the computer and several modifications are made for improvement. According to Tavares, up to five years ago, the main demand was for cost reduction. Currently, there is also great demand for reduction of emissions.
Chemtech was fully transferred to Siemens five years ago. Before that, however, the German company had already acquired part of it. Currently, Chemtech has 1,300 employees, off which 800 are in Rio de Janeiro. The company has offices in other cities in Brazil as well as professionals in the United States and Germany. There are also plans to open offices in Vienna, Austria, and Angola, in Africa. Projects have already been developed in around 30 countries.
*Translated by Mark Ament
