EnerMech invests in South African energy

EnerMech has invested ZAR 5.3 million (£250 000) to provide a door-to-door valves service for South Africa’s industrial services and energy industries.

The international mechanical engineering group has equipped two mobile PSV valves testing rigs capable of delivering valve certification and servicing to the doorstep of South African customers.

Staffed by eight PSV technicians working on rotation, the two units can operate within a 2000 km radius of Cape Town and provide a rapid response service to valves clients in the gas, iron, steel and chemical industries.

The investment in the rigs has proved highly popular with client companies, which under South African law require safety valves to be recertified every one to three years. The smaller rig can service valves up to 4 in. while the larger unit is capable of 12 in. valve certification and has pressure gauge testing up to 40 000psi.

EnerMech Valves General Manager in Africa, Stephen David, explained: “Some clients prefer not to have their safety valves going off-site so we go to them. Our highly mobile response team prevents delays, improves process safety and we act as a ‘safety net’ for the client needing sourcing of new valves and spares.”

Smart logistical and route planning means clients can benefit from multiple visits on a typical round-trip. Through their regular visits, EnerMech technicians are able to predict when a valve could be expected to fail and can optimise the scheduling of a full maintenance programme to minimise client downtime.

Stephen David said there is a bright outlook for EnerMech’s Valves Division in South Africa. He added: “There are lots of exciting opportunities and quite a bit of this lies outside the traditional oil and gas sectors in which EnerMech operates. In addition to the mainstream heavy industries, we are working in sectors as diverse as brewing and pulp and paper, and I can see our wider offering, including recent introduction of Industrial Services in the region, being of widespread appeal with those varied businesses.”

UK-headquartered EnerMech has more than 100 staff based in Africa and operations in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Angola. It has invested more than £4 million in establishing a local presence in each country and developing the infrastructure to deliver a fast response service for each of its seven business lines.

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/20102015/enermech-invests-in-south-african-energy-1638/