Marine | EM&I Alliance
Black Gold Rush
The Brazilian oil industry may be a hard nut to crack but SMEs shouldn’t be put off; the shell is softer than they realise, says Natasha Bowler.
W
ith fewer than thirty companies in the industry, small and medium enterprises face a
number of hurdles to become a part of Brazil’s lucrative oil market. But this is not to say they shouldn’t try. EM&I Group, a British company
specialising in the inspection, repair and maintenance, and life extension of FOIs (Floating Offshore Installations), took on the challenges of this market eighteen months ago and has not looked back since. The British government has been
very supportive of SMEs trying to establish themselves in Brazil. David Brett, Business Developer (Americas) for EM&I, was able to secure his first
‘The help we received in both Rio and London has been invaluable. They have provided us with access to the top people in Petrobras, which would probably have been virtually
impossible otherwise.’ David Brett, Business Developer (Americas) for EM&I
global-opportunity.co.uk
contract just a year after his first visit, thanks to the introductions facilitated by UKTI. “The help we received in both Rio and London has been invaluable. They have provided us with access to the top people in Petrobras, which would probably have been virtually impossible otherwise. We even managed to get our CEO invited to travel with David Cameron’s party to Brazil where he subsequently met the CEOs of Petrobras, Shell and the BG Group as well.” Nevertheless entrepreneurs intending to breach the oil industry in Brazil need to understand the dynamics of that particular market. Petrobras, the semi-public multi- national energy corporation, is the main player and David recommends only negotiating with them with a patented product. “We chose a suitable partner that
gave us instant credibility,” he says. “We commissioned an Overseas Market Introductory Service before I went on my exploratory visit and it was worth its weight in gold as it introduced us to potential partners as well as clients. The Brazilian Chamber of Commerce have an annual London dinner in May which is also invaluable for contacts, and UKTI have a lot of information on companies from seminars and functions they organise.” EM&I have introduced numerous
major innovations during the last thirty years keeping them at the forefront of the technology required in their line of business. Their ‘No Drydock… Safely’ strategy would not be possible without their patented diverless UWILD (Under Water Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking) system ‘ODIN’ and the ‘HullGuard ICCP’ (Impressed Current Cathodic Protection) system; these torpedo-like anodes are much safer as they do not need to be attached by divers. All EM&I’s work is carried out offshore as there is only one drydock in Brazil and this is operated by Petrobras; EM&I carry out the majority of their work while the FPSOs are ‘on station’ and ‘in production’; few activities need to be done during a shutdown. “We are using, and intend to use,
UKTI services in Mexico, Angola and Houston as a direct result of our experience in Brazil,” says David. British companies may need to be resilient and resourceful in Brazil, but as the nickname “black gold rush” would suggest there is money to be made for SMEs; this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
GO
FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 1625 548 603
www.emialliance.com
ISSUE 01 | GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY 2014 187
MARINE
|
EM&I ALLIANCE
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