Asset integrity in the UAE’s energy industry

Karim Attiyah, managing director and group CEO of Emirates Specialized Contracting And Oilfield Services (ESCO), talks to The Energy Year about the extent to which the company leadership in asset integrity in the UAE’s energy sector. ESCO is an energy services company that provides specialised maintenance management and consultancy services.

To what extent is ESCO a market leader in asset integrity in the UAE’s energy industry?
Our core services revolve around asset integrity, 360-degree asset lifecycle management and the overall preservation of predominantly offshore assets. Regarding the latter, we carry out inspection, maintenance and management activities to ensure customers can continue optimally using their assets. These include pipelines, offshore platforms, industrial plants, complexes, rigs, barges, wellhead towers and wellhead platforms.
Some of the services we provide are offshore NDT [non-destructive testing], risked-based inspections and corrosion mapping and management. The inspection, testing and auditing of these physical assets is fundamental for them to properly function and therefore fundamental for the wellbeing of the energy industry.
Furthermore, these services are key to our clients in terms of energy efficiency and energy management, as we advise them when they should make certain upgrades and when they should retire equipment to ensure they hit their energy targets.
Replacing equipment has become essential for companies such as ADNOC and other customers at a local and international level. We are now looking at providing an integrated, packaged, 360-degree solution offering inspection, maintenance and asset integrity.

What are the most important fields in which ESCO deploys its inspection services?
We are the UAE’s leading asset integrity company, and we work in four main fields. We are the largest inspection company for aviation services. We carry out helipad inspections for ADNOC. The aviation industry has become paramount for us. The UAE’s hydrocarbons terrain is composed of predominantly shallow water and islands compared to other parts of the world.
Consequently, we have a lot of helicopter activity and a vast number of helidecks and landing areas. When comparing the North Sea with the UAE, the former has around 600 registered, of which 63% are not on fixed platforms but are ‘moving’. In the UAE there are over 700 offshore helidecks and more than 500 onshore landing facilities. All these need to be inspected, and that is where we come in.
Secondly, we work closely with the marine and offshore sector and have the largest diving team in the country. Thirdly, specialised demolitions and decommissioning is also a field that has gained traction for us. Lastly, we have a branch focused on the handling of NORM [naturally occurring radioactive material]. We are specialised in this area and a partner of choice for ADNOC. We are one of the experts in Abu Dhabi in the field of NORM waste.

What novel solutions are you bringing to the UAE’s hydrogen logistics space?
ESCO has always prided itself on being a leader in technological innovation. We are part of the hydrogen conversation taking place in the UAE, and we are providing ADNOC a unique solution for the transportation of hydrogen.
We also signed an MOU with ADNOC regarding hydrogen logistics through our partner company Hydrogenious LOHC. In Q4 of 2021, we signed a JV with the latter to create Hydrogenious LOHC Emirates, which aims to deliver hydrogen infrastructure in the Middle East.
Located in Abu Dhabi, Hydrogenious LOHC Emirates positions itself as the ideal on-site solution provider for hydrogen storage and transport at any distance and scale. It will have a product portfolio of liquid-organic-hydrogen-carrier (LOHC) hydrogenation and dehydrogenation turnkey plants, O&M [operations and maintenance] services and LOHC logistics services.
The UAE is aiming to become a net exporter of hydrogen. They therefore must be able to move the hydrogen from the UAE to world markets, such as Europe and Japan. Hydrogenious technology turns the hydrogen gas into a harmless liquid that is easily transportable. This liquid is very safe to move, and hence, the logistics costs and challenges are greatly reduced. As our motto says, we “think outside of the barrel,” and we want to be ahead of the game.

How are you implementing drone technology for inspections and emissions detection?
We are pioneers in inspection and survey services with drones. We are one of the few companies that is working with ADNOC on automated aviation services. We have a sister company called Emirates Drones under our umbrella which is providing these services to ADNOC.
Normally, inspections are done manually, but with our drones, we are disrupting the world of inspection. Our drones are doing it faster, cheaper and more safely. We are able to mobilise much faster, the amount of data we collect is exponentially higher and human lives are not at risk.
This drone technology can also be used to inspect and determine the gas emissions emitted by a certain facility. We are currently in talks with ADNOC to see how to increase the environmental and safety levels for the NOC. There are diverse ideas we are considering, such as installing methane and H2S [hydrogen sulphide] detectors on our drones. We have our own fleet of drones that carry out these tasks.
Our approach towards the world of inspection is based on technology. It is all about going digital. By going digital we can provide predictive maintenance instead of only providing reactive maintenance. Through our drones and other technologies, we can conduct programmed monitoring to predict future failures in assets.

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