Tech-driven offshore operations advance in Mexico

Mexico

Rodolfo Alfonso Esquivel, general director of Grupo Roales, talks to The Energy Year about current dynamics in Mexico’s oil and gas sector, the company’s main clients and projects, and its key competitive advantages. Grupo Roales provides specialised technical and administrative assistance services for the energy sector.

What is your view of Mexico’s current oil and gas sector and the importance of public-private collaboration for its future?
Today we are waiting to see how the rules of the game are going to change with the current government and the alterations that are going to be made to the operations of Pemex and the CFE. We estimate that, after March, when the first budget is announced, we will have more clarity and understand the involvement of the private sector in the energy industry.
Neither oil nor Pemex are going to disappear, but I think that openness with the private sector is going to be crucial. Work between the private sector and the government will be vital for meeting objectives and successfully transferring knowledge and experience between the two.

Tell us about your main clients and projects.
In the gas sector, we work with CENAGAS. We are also working with the CFE in Ciudad del Carmen on a transmission project for a submarine power cable. With Pemex, we have stopped operating for the most part, and we are not looking to bid again. Today, the only business we have in force with them is the certification of its helicopter operators, something which takes place every six months.
At the moment, we are also working with Fieldwood Energy, which operates the Ichalkil and Pokoch oilfields. We have a number of bids submitted with them. We recently won a bid to carry out the maintenance work on an engine of an offshore platform, and we are awaiting the decision to see whether we win any of the others we have submitted.

What key services do you provide in Mexico’s oil and gas sector, and what separates you from your competition?
We provide comprehensive services across the whole value chain of the oil and gas industry. We do all the engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning and construction processes, as well as provide a vast number of other specialised services.
For example, the latest line of business we have added to our portfolio is shipping and consignment services. These allow us to operate vessels in our projects. This service was born from a contract with Pemex, and now we are even looking at opportunities to deploy our DP2 maintenance vessels to Brazil and the US, where there is growing demand for these services.
Finally, a key added value of ours is that we are only the third company in Mexico to have the ISO 29001 certification, which specifies the quality-management-system requirements for the petroleum, petrochemicals and natural gas industries. This positions us to work with international operators on large onshore and offshore projects, as it is something they require to guarantee the quality they need.

How are you incorporating new technologies and methods in your operations?
Grupo Roales focuses on using technology to make our operations more efficient. For example, if another company requires 30 people in their project analysis department, we aim to need only 15. We do this by incorporating stronger computing equipment and administrative systems in our operations, which allow us to have all our information on one portal. This ensures that everyone, whether they are in the finance, project management or quality and safety department, has access to all the information they need.
Moreover, these systems allow each department to be aware of the activities of the others and therefore know, for example, when a particular purchase or delivery was made or even when there is a planned quality inspection. This may seem mundane, but many companies do not have this, and that makes their operations chaotic, ultimately leading to losses.
Furthermore, with regard to our field operations, we have eliminated our use of scaffolding on platforms, which was an exponential waste of time and money. Instead, we now use industrial climbers, which are usually used for painting. We use these hanging systems to allow our engineers to make electrical or mechanical fixes to the platforms. This epitomises our approach to technology, prioritising efficiency in time, resources and security.

What message would you send to international companies looking at Mexico as a possible destination, and what are your future plans for Grupo Roales?
Our message would be let’s work together. It would be interesting to help each other collaborate on projects in not only Mexico but also Colombia and elsewhere. This would allow us to transfer technologies and our distinct experiences in our particular sectors.
However, overall we would also emphasise that Mexico is open to investment, and they can rest assured that, with the strength of our industry and with a good local company such as us, we can bring any project to fruition.
Ultimately, it is us, the Mexican companies, that are subcontracted to do the work for international entities, as we are the ones with the local knowledge and expertise. We would encourage international companies to partner directly with local companies, as we have the skillset, and this would ultimately save them many costly mistakes.
Finally, regarding the future of Grupo Roales, despite the love we as Latinos have for our companies, we understand the energy business, and today we are open to any kind of offer. Whether it is a complete sale, an acquisition or an injection of capital, we know that we cannot do it alone. To keep growing, we need these injections of capital, and that always comes at a price. This is something we are open to.

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