Unique Service Provider Turns Niche Into Its Foundation

Q: What new contributions can Exterran offer Mexico regarding domestic oil and natural gas production?

A: Cash preservation and asset optimization have become a clear objective for our industry. In this regard, Exterran’s approach is to provide customers with life-cycle solutions that address those concerns by maximizing our capabilities. For example, we have expanded our capabilities to include water treatment as well as power generation to help strengthen our sustainable product offerings. 

Second, we have strengthened our aftermarket services (AMS) and products to help our customers maximize the use of existing assets, reduce operational and financial risk and, in the process, optimize production to monetize their fields faster. 

Third, we have future-proofed our plant designs for maximum flexibility, so our customers can adapt quickly to changing market conditions. This includes creating modular designs that can be mobilized rapidly as needed.

Q: How has the role of AMS in your Mexican portfolio changed recently?

A: The importance of AMS in Mexico comes from filling the void of available resources for our clients who are looking to maximize the value of their existing assets. In addition, the availability of CAPEX in the industry is quite strained, so the maintenance and modernization of existing assets, even when their age puts them in the category of legacy assets, increasingly makes economic sense for our clients. Our Mexican customers want to achieve the same premium results they had before 2020 while keeping their CAPEX investments low after a difficult year, so AMS fits their needs like a glove. This applies particularly to our midstream clients: they require a one-stop-shop that includes and integrates AMS.  

Q: What are Exterran’s differentiators from its competitors in Mexico in terms of service, skill and overall value proposition?

A: Exterran’s focus has always been to provide premier products and excellent services. We combine these with our ability to provide life-cycle solutions that are focused on efficiency and maximizing returns with an emphasis on environmental, social and governance responsibilities. We are confident that our solutions provide customers with the ROI they need.

We also believe our water treatment technology is a differentiator, not only compared to the other technology available in the market but also in terms of us being a full-service company that can offer a solution for all molecules that come out of the ground. 

Q: How does Exterran’s company culture and leadership characteristics make it a market leader in Mexico?  

A: Exterran firmly believes that our people are our greatest asset. As such, we go to great lengths to make sure that our employees are equipped with the latest skills and know-how to solve complex problems for our customers.  Therefore, employee development, quality work and continuous improvement are at the forefront of our culture.  We ensure that our customers come first, while creating the leaders of the future in the process.

Q: How does Exterran’s compliance with quality, safety and environmental standards position it in light of the events of 2020?   

A: Last year was a tough year for our industry and the world in general. At Exterran, we took a very proactive approach to the pandemic. We reacted early by implementing mitigating policies to prevent contagions at our plants and worksites, in addition to deploying a work from home protocol. We also developed training programs to increase the amount of scheduled training and development courses. Investing in the development of employees’ skills will pay greater dividends later. It is also a process that we are continuing to execute, ensuring that once we do return to full on-site activities, we will be a better company than before.

Q: What are the milestones reached and lessons learned that Exterran can take away from 2020?

A: Our mitigation strategies worked well and we are proud that our operations were not affected because of the pandemic. We have learned that our teams are resilient and their dedication to the operations is to be admired. We believe we need to continue to provide support both in and out of the workplace for our employees, as we collectively weather these tough times. There is no question that 2020 had a profound effect on our workforce. We believe that it is our responsibility to provide the support necessary to create an environment where our employees feel safe and that allows them to continue providing the results our customers have come to expect.

Q: What are the most important aspects of Exterran’s growth and development strategy for 2021?

A: For us, 2021 is the year to sustain. We have refocused and streamlined operations while expanding the skillset of our employees. We are committed to continuing this journey down the path of creating value from concept to completion for our customers and, in the process, providing ever better solutions. We are always asking ourselves, “how can we be better?” It is this commitment to quality and value that continues to be our driving focus.  

As we look toward the future, our sustainable product offerings coupled with the industry's focus on lowering its environmental footprint set the stage for improving demand for our products and services. Whether it is processing, treating or moving natural gas or helping our customers reduce their dependence on fresh water through our water treatment technology, we see strong demand for our products going forward.

Exterran is a globally renowned industry leader in full-service, turnkey midstream infrastructure solutions and aftermarket services (AMS). With operations in more than 25 countries, Exterran focuses on gas processing and treatment, compression, produced water solutions and power generation.