Opportunities for offshore developments

Kuwait

Rabie Ruziek, general manager at Terranaut Technology, talks to The Energy Year about his outlook for 2023 and opportunities in offshore developments in Kuwait. Terranaut Technology is a Kuwaiti company specialising in the installation of pipes in all types of ground conditions.

What is your outlook for 2023?
The market is picking up. Lots of projects are being put online, but very few concrete ones have been signed at the moment. However, we are hopeful that 2023 will bring more activity to the market.
The Burgan gas condensation plant project is something we would like to participate in, as well as in any developments in northern Kuwait that need tunnelling services. Another project is in the waste water realm, with German company WTE needing to lay fibre optic at road crossings.
Of course, we are maintaining our regular flow lines maintenance contracts with KOC. We are also excited about the new residential cities being developed, such as South Sabah Al-Ahmad, where a lot of utility developments will be needed.

How big of an opportunity are offshore developments in Kuwait for Terranaut Technology?
For any offshore activity or development, we will want to be involved. We’ve never done it in Kuwait before, but we have done it many times in Egypt. One instance was a water desalination and treatment plant. Egypt cannot depend on water from the Nile, so they’re making a backup for remote cities all over the coast, bringing water from the sea and desalinating it.
We can certainly participate in these offshore developments with whatever cable or pipes they need. With bigger sites, tunnelling technology can be used. Otherwise, horizontal directional drilling technology is a great fit. It is much more convenient than having to get a rig and place it offshore.

How important is it to keep investing in new technology?
We are continuously updating our tracking systems; the latest-generation one has a lead of up to 50 metres and transmitters that reach 90 metres. In addition to that, there is new technology to get rid of noise pollution. When drilling takes place under light cables, signals are affected. But now we can isolate this with rebar transmitters, which help us do a more accurate and safer job. It is critical to deliver our projects quickly and with good quality, especially when prices are falling.

What is your strategy to grow Terranaut Technology’s regional presence?
We took advantage of our presence in Egypt during the pandemic to develop the Egyptian market, moving some rigs there. We now have four rigs there and are working with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, for example.
However, our key focus is to develop our presence in Saudi Arabia. I have met with contractors and government officials, and I see a lot of potential there. Saudi Arabia is open for business and it is now easy and convenient to set up a company there and participate in the great growth that is occurring.
We also invested USD 250,000 on another heavy rig. It is currently at sea heading to Kuwait from the US.

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