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Applying O&G Experience to Industrial Processes

Benny Ong - NOV
Latin America Sales Manager, Industrial Technologies

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Mon, 10/22/2018 - 17:57

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Non-oil and gas markets present oil and gas companies with an attractive opportunity to diversify their portfolios, says Benny Ong, Latin America Sales Manager in NOV’s Process and Flow Technologies business unit. He says mining is an ideal market for companies like NOV since many drilling technologies can add value to both industries. “In oil completion and production, a wide variety of equipment and solutions help companies extract oil from the well but these technologies are not exclusive to oil and gas,” Ong says. “We take oil and gas synergies and apply them to industrial sectors such as pulp and paper and mining.”
Ong says that mining has become an increasingly attractive growth sector for NOV, particularly as metal prices have recovered from 2015 lows. Although oil prices tend to trend downward in the face of geopolitical instability, metals prices thrive on volatility, he says. “All the critical prices like gold, silver, and copper have gone up, and production levels at mine sites have increased,” he notes. “We are really focusing on mining, which is one of the key growth areas for us in Mexico.”
The company, a US-based multinational that is a leading provider of drilling equipment for the oil and gas industry, also offers other oil and gas technologies for mining applications. “We supply pumping equipment, mixing equipment, composite piping systems, and valves, among other products,” Ong says. On the ore processing side, NOV’s most popular product is Chemineer-branded agitators.
Although these agitators are standard in the industry, Ong says the added value NOV can offer is its simulation software, which can paint a picture for operators of tangible production gains. “We can simulate the operator’s process in the mixing environment to instill confidence the equipment will perform the way it should,” he says. While many of NOV’s competitors rely on a show-and-sell strategy, Ong says valuable time can be saved by using a simulator. “This means that, even if a customer changes its requirements, we can modify the simulation at a moment’s notice and the client can see what will happen, leading to optimization and time and cost savings.”
Ong notes that NOV’s main differentiator is the long experience it has gathered from the oil and gas industry. “Although there are many options on the market, we provide strong capabilities with computational fluid dynamics, decades of experience, and proven, reliable equipment that will last,” he says. “None of our competitors can offer the same thing.” In addition, Ong says that NOV is continuing to work toward expanding its presence in the region to ease logistical headaches and get products to customers faster.
NOV’s global footprint allows the company to understand and meet client needs much more efficiently, adds Ong. For example, NOV has developed the XG range gear pump for drilling and blasting customers. It is a critical product that only two or three companies in the US can supply. “We have a global presence in China, Australia, Europe and the Americas, so we are able to efficiently serve our high-value customers,” Ong says.
Ong admits that a challenge NOV faces is the ability of local companies to manufacture look-alike products, but cautions customers that in such cases, appearance and quality do not always go hand in hand. “These companies can manufacture locally and offer a product that looks like ours but without our quality and expertise.” Although many customers tend to lean toward those companies because they require a smaller upfront investment, they quickly realize the equipment is not optimum, he says. “These products wear out quickly, need more maintenance and cause more downtime, especially because these companies do not have the required expertise to help operators optimize their processes,” Ong says. “A reduction in the price of the technology does not necessarily mean it is good for customers in the long run.”
NOV works closely with clients to meet the needs of the industry, and Ong says one key metric of its success is the caliber of those it works with. “We do business within three main segments: operators, drilling and blasting customers, and EPC companies,” he says. “We work with the leading companies in each group to develop solutions that are truly valuable and impactful to their operations.”

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