Into IWOCS Proserv seeks to build relationships and its reach

Julia Lutfy, Business Development Manager – IWOCS, Proserv Controls, tells Dan Hyland, Operations Director at OGV Energy, how the firm is aiming to strengthen its onshore and offshore IWOCS business.

Earlier this year, in our cover interview with Proserv Controls Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Davis Larssen, he highlighted how the controls technology firm had mapped out bold plans to grow its activity and footprint in intervention workover control systems (IWOCS).

The CEO highlighted how the business had committed to acquiring new IWOCS equipment for its Aberdeen and Houston sites, even while the world was in the midst of an unfurling global pandemic, as Proserv eyed new deepwater opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico and sought to extend its portfolio of spreads to support its high utilisation rates globally.

Julia Lutfy, Business Development Manager – IWOCS, Proserv Controls, tells OGV Energy that this strategy is already beginning to pay off: “One of the core reasons why we have acquired four new IWOCS spreads for our Aberdeen base is to open up more possibilities for us. We can now look to ramp up our reach into new projects and regions – it gives us that commitment flexibility.“As a case in point, we have won another notable contract in the Asia Pacific region, directly on the back of how well we executed an intervention work scope for the same client last year, so we will be shipping some of the new equipment to our base there and our goal is to then cement our position in the territory. Asia and Australia have great potential, with around $40bn of decommissioning work in Australia alone. We feel we could offer customers an experienced, affordable solution.”

Service support

Lutfy explains that for a reliable and effective service provider, balancing activity levels and new undertakings realistically, is essential. It also remains vital that stand-by equipment is always on hand quickly in case of urgent need by a valued customer.

Nurturing close relationships with clients has been something that Proserv has always prioritised across its whole business, and its IWOCS offering is no different, “For more than two years now, we have been building an increasingly close relationship with a supermajor that is active in the North Sea. During that time, we have demonstrated our commitment to providing the best customer service, cost-effective on-time delivery and, most importantly, safe working practices for both its team and our own.”

The client has its own Proserv allocated Project Managers and dedicated technicians, as this “builds and grows the trust and understanding between us. They get to know our team and, the more we do for them, we also get to know how they like to work, what they really need, and we increase our familiarity with their equipment. By presenting a service such as this, we aim to become all of our clients’ supplier of choice across our multiple offerings.”

Lutfy states that onshore activities and preparation constitute a vital component in the offshore operational success of Proserv’s customers. The IWOCS team has been able “to adapt and pivot to our clients’ needs”, adjusting sites to allow multiple operations to be carried out simultaneously: “We offer all levels of onshore testing and refurbishment, which needs to be carried out to the highest of standards, as our key goal aligns with those of our clients – the avoidance of unexpected downtime.”

Turnaround times are also critical for effective support and Lutfy reveals that Proserv has fine-tuned its stock management processes, as part of its continued business improvement measures, to make sure components with long lead times are always on hand, “ultimately ensuring efficiencies in our new build, maintenance and refurbishment work scopes, improving return times to our clients.”

Technology driving strategy

Proserv has also been in the news regarding some innovative technology tie-ups aimed at ramping up condition monitoring capabilities and Julia Lutfy confirms the company’s IWOCS team is also deploying new tech applications to improve an operator’s visibility of its maintenance needs.

“Our AEGIS asset enhancement software solution has been integrated into the IWOCS we have built for one of our customers and this application will initially be incorporated over the next 12 months. Our long-term goal is to enable our clients to log on to our system and, using an accessible dashboard, gain insight to the state of their equipment and upcoming maintenance needs, alongside estimated costs of any work that might be required.

“Effective service support is not only about being trusted to test or maintain key components, but also making life easier for clients. If you can deliver an accurate five-year maintenance plan, you help firms gain greater clarity on their operational expenditure and future strategies.”

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