OREANDA-NEWS.  KBC Advanced Technologies is pleased to announce an immediate expansion of its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) business, where it has been assisting major national and international oil and gas companies with Operational Excellence through its expert consultants and process simulation software for many decades. The company is particularly known for Profit Improvement Programmes (PIPs), adding tens of millions of dollars to customers’ bottom lines, for assistance with Organisational and People Development, and for the advanced proprietary process simulation technologies such as Petro-SIM™ and Multiflash™.

The Chairman of KBC, Ian Godden, has relocated to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to oversee this major growth programme building on its existing base in Bahrain. A new Partner, Andy Sakka, has joined the Company to build a much stronger consulting and software presence in MENA, starting with the creation of a joint venture with a world-leading Middle East company in upstream, investment in the UAE, continuation of its strong business in Oman, appointment of agents in Kuwait, increased resources for Qatar and a further focus on business in Iraq and Libya as conditions allow. Furthermore, some of KBC’s oil and gas leaders are being transferred to the region, such as Mark Avis, a senior professional in KBC’s Mergers, Acquisitions and Commercial Practice in London.

Ian Godden said, “I am delighted personally to be triggering the expansion of our existing Consulting and Technology services in this region. Our ability to improve the quality of our clients’ assets, both capital and human, is industry-leading. We are focused on achieving tangible improvements for our clients, an order of magnitude greater than many of our competitors.”

Andy Sakka added, “Our clients already include most of the major national oil and gas companies in MENA, but a significant increase in high quality specialists in this region, both locally and internationally trained, will allow us to grow substantially. This region contains seven of the top 20 worldwide oil and gas companies and our mission is to assist these clients to become world-class in every aspect of their operations.”

Mark Avis, no stranger to the region having worked for a number of years in Kuwait, said, “I have committed the next part of my career with KBC to MENA and look forward to developing our team here. Our expertise covers all aspects of profit improvement in upstream, midstream and downstream assets using skills in yield, energy efficiency, reliability and maintenance (RAM), organisational effectiveness, and expert advice during strategic investments. We are underpinned by world-leading technology, such as our own Petro-SIM process simulation whole-plant models for upstream production, downstream refineries and petrochemical plants.”

Azhari Dafaalla, a consultant based in Bahrain with KBC for a number of years, adds, “I am pleased to be part of a growing company in this region. I gained my experience in a number of the region’s refineries and upstream production units and KBC has enabled me to work on a variety of operational programmes, being focused currently on major energy efficiency improvements for upstream assets in Saudi Arabia.”

KBC Advanced Technologies plc is headquartered in London UK, with 17 offices worldwide including major oil and gas centres such as Houston, Denver, Calgary, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and now the UAE.