Within a short span of time, Seven Seas Petroleum Group has grown into a full-fledged supply and service company with diversified presence in different industry segments in Oman, UAE and Qatar. Excerpts from an interview with Managing Director, Shuayb K Al Suleimany
Can you give us a brief on the Seven Seas Petroleum and its operations?
Seven Seas Petroleum is an Omani company established in 2002 and has since expanded its operations into the UAE and Qatar. Seven Seas Petroleum started as a trading company, representing a few foreign principals in Oman. Within a few years of operations, the company began undertaking oilfield services activities, concentrating on adding value to principal’s products and systems. With support from in-country operators, the company began to integrate controls systems and metering skids in Oman and grew into a full-fledged supply and services company.
What are the major projects of the company?
Seven Seas Petroleum subsidiary Intaj was awarded Oman’s block 56 with its partner, Medco Arabia. The Intaj block acquisition marks an expansion into upstream operations for Seven Seas Petroleum. This move is a part of our company’s plan for diversification.
The company is working together with international oilfield services provider, Petrofac on the main automation contract for PDO’s Rabab Harweel Integrated Project.
Being an oil and gas company, has the oil price fall affected your performance? What are the major challenges facing the company?
The reduction in the price of oil has surely affected all companies involved in the oil and gas sector and we are no exception. We see reduced requirements from the national and international oil companies and service provider; but there is still a very strong project activity by way of the Liwa Plastics project, Duqm refinery, Oman Gas network expansion and the Salalah LPG and ammonia projects to name a few. These projects will help fuel growth for the economy and will boost job creation in the areas where the projects are coming up.
The company has diversified its service base to different industry segments. How strong is your presence in these segments?
Seven Seas Petroleum has diversified its services base to include industry segments such as petrochemicals, power, water and waste water, cement, and EPC contractors serving these industry segments. Almost 30 per cent of our revenue is derived from non-oil and gas customers. Our subsidiary Intaj has unmatched levels of expertise in a diverse range of service fields including – wireline services, coiled tubing services, stimulations, fishing and milling services and artificial lifting services. Our subsidiary, Falcon Technical Services is an electro-mechanical engineering and servicing company dealing with military, home-land protection, civil defence and IT. Our subsidiary Seven Seas Infotech is a leading system integrator which provides end-to-end solution in the field of information communication technology.
What about your expansion plan in Oman and abroad?
Seven Seas Petroleum has diversified its business in the UAE and Qatar in oil and gas, petrochemicals, metals and mining, energy management, food and beverages, infrastructure and utilities, fertilisers, water and waste water. Our subsidiary Delta Controls is a leading provider of turnkey solutions for controls, instrumentation and automation systems and delivered large scale early production facility projects involving automation, LV/MV switchgear and containerised control rooms to customers from Indonesia to Venezuela, apart from the ones in the region.
What is your contribution to strengthen in-country value in the oil & gas sector?
Seven Seas Petroleum is always at the forefront of developing Omani human resources and maximising in-country value (ICV) for its principals’ products and providing local services in Oman. All of the application engineering for the products sold in Oman is done locally by a team of professionals including some very talented Omani nationals. All the after-sales services delivered to our customers are via an all Omani team of certified engineers who have been extensively trained at the overseas factory locations. At Seven Seas Petroleum, we have added true value to our principals’ products and have indigenised various offerings.
A state-of-the-art valve automation centre (again with a majority Omani crew), locally delivered metering and multiport skid projects, centre of excellence for digital net oil computers are few examples of this initiative. Seven Seas Petroleum is continually investing in facilities and human resources to improve our service levels to the Omani clientele. The modern office building built in Ghala is an example of our commitment to this country.