The new JV in Saudi Arabia shows Innovar's commitment to expansion and increasing localisation, with plans to manufacture and fabricate new equipment and technology entirely in the Kingdom

Localisation of manufacturing and manpower weighs heavily with Innovar Solutions, which has been spending steadily on expansion since it started operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2018.

The company marked a strong local presence when Innovar Solutions Middle East through its local partner DPC Drilling Performance Contracting Company formed a joint venture in the Kingdom named Innovar Solutions Saudi Company.

"We formed this JV to show our serious plans in Saudi Arabia for expansion and to increase localisation, which will eventually help us increase our business and our participation in Saudi Aramco’s In-Kingdom Total Value Add (iktva) programme," Qamar uz Zaman, Operation Manager - Middle East at Innovar Solutions, exclusively tells the OGN energy magazine.

Zaman says Innovar wants to do increasing business in the country but in a way that adds value to the local economy.

The Innovar stand and team at the IPTC 2022 held in Riyadh

Its differentiation is its robust Norwegian technology, which Zaman claims has no match in the market, such as strong laser focused magnet technology.

And this is just one of the many unique technologies it wants to promote in the Kingdom.

Zaman says wellbore cleanup is very important because an unclean well will definitely end up in failure and cost the client in downtime. "And this where we would can save and are saving time."

He says: "We will keep promoting our technologies and offer quality services to Saudi Aramco to properly clean their wells so that failures could be avoided.

Zaman ... localisation focus

He says from 2020 to 2022 Innovar hasn’t recorded a single failure with regard to its technology despite all-round activities with so many different clients. "So you can imagine how safe we work from the HSE and quality points of view."

Zaman further mentions that Innovar Solutions Saudi Company is already ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified, and they meticulously follow the ISO standards for a safe work environment, both for their people and company assets.

ISO 14001 is a commonly-used environmental standard that helps organisations in energy transition, a goal Innovar aims for as well.

LOCALISATION

Innovar is following the criteria outlined in the programme. "We are in good shape today because we are already adding a lot of local content at the moment.

Zaman says Innovar can contribute to iktva in various ways such as local manufacturing, local manpower and local fabrications.

At its base in the Jurah district, the company has a fully-organised and ISO-certified workshop.

In future plans, it will to start manufacture its new requirements in the Kingdom to add value in iktva.

"All our new equipment and technology will be entirely manufactured and fabricated locally in the Kingdom. And in fact we have already started some local manufacturing and fabrication locally."

Innovar aims to move to the King Salman Energy Park (Spark) in that coming years since that serves it well in its upcoming contracts.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Innovar actively works with all the big local and international service companies and serves the major service providers of Saudi Aramco, including big four, in addition to rig contractors and service companies.

Innovar will add tools and technology developed especially for the Saudi market by yearend

It is the go-to company for anything related to well services. "We contribute R&D services or custom designed tools for that occasional challenge that occurs during the drilling of wells," says Zaman.

From the products aspect, Innovar acquired new equipment this year, including its own patented scrapper and brush tool for wellbore cleanup services. This is a combo cleaning tool.

In addition, it has other industry-leading technology, such as powerful industry fishing flat bottom magnets, for slick line, E line, wireline, coil tubing, and string; and heavy duty string magnets for milling, sidetracking and cleanout.

Innovar also offers jet bailers for the slickline industry. Zaman explains: "This is a bailer but with the additional advantage of having a jets on it.

More tools will be added by the yearend, but more importantly new tools and technology will be developed especially for the Saudi market.

Innovar Solutions Saudi Company also participated in International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2022 in Riyadh to showcase its products and services.

LOCAL TALENT ACQUISITION

The company has since its inception in Saudi Arabia continuously added talented local manpower to its ranks as a priority.

The company encourages new blood and runs an internal programme to hunt and train fresh talent.

For that it contacts local technical colleges, from different regions, for their best mechanical and electrical diploma holders. These candidates are then passed through an internship programme to enhance their skills and knowledge about the technologies and the industry before finally being hired.

Expressing hope about the young workforce, Zaman says: "I believe the fresh graduates take more interest in their work and are ready to accept challenges. This is beneficial for both them and the company."

Since Innovar is moving towards a service oriented company, it will need a large number of field engineers or field specialists in the future, and they will be hired out of these fresh graduates.

"We are expanding significantly and I am hopeful that if we follow our current a path we will be strengthening the organisation with local talent.

Innovar firmly believes in giving back to society, and has since its start been participating in different CSR activities in Saudi Arabia.

It was recently approached for the sponsorship of a local the sports team, which, as Zaman says "shows our interests to promote the healthy environment".

Not only locally but globally as well, Innovar has lent a helping hand to people affected worldwide from disasters.