Teaming up to reduce costs and increase efficiency
Research shows that a high degree of collaboration and coordination across multiple industry stakeholders is required to overcome the unique challenges to the long term sustainability of the oil and gas industry in Australia.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that effective collaborative efforts are critical elements for future growth in energy.
A 2017 Deloitte report, A hive mentality: Collaboration lessons for Australian oil and gas, looks at how the Australian oil and gas sector should develop a hive mentality in order to ensure collective success as an industry and as a country.
Effective collaboration creates opportunities for improved productivity and efficiency, and sustainable cost reductions across the value chain that may not be accessible by an organisation on its own.
Australia’s vast geography and the remoteness of operations imposes a high level of interdependency on the oil and gas sector, highlighting a huge amount of collaborative potential.
This is one of the core ideas behind Powered, an Australian energy and resource focused business development company.
Powered helps Australian and international companies in the energy, and upstream oil and gas sectors grow in the Australian market by leveraging its strong relationships with a network of industry professionals. Powered has earned a solid track record of bringing in opportunities and sales for all its clients.
Now celebrating its four year anniversary, Powered helps businesses partner with other organisations that could benefit from their products or services, and vice versa.
Exploring the benefits of industry partnerships
Matt Meyer, Regional Manager – Australasia at DFI, one of the leading suppliers of steel piling, said that Powered were instrumental in connecting DFI to the right people.
“Powered connected DFI with clients that were best suited for our product such as APA, Santos, Wasco, Jemena and Senex. It was these connections that launched our technology into the Australian market.”
Australian CSG producers that have used steel piling have seen a 50 per cent reduction in construction costs compared to traditional concrete systems, an excellent result for both DFI and its customers.
Both land rehabilitation and wastewater management company BeneTerra and Gentherm Global Power Technologies, who specialise in the manufacturing and distribution of thermoelectric generators (TEGs), have found that strong industry partnerships are key to success.
“We have been working with Powered for a few years now. They have introduced us to many organisations and have successfully brought in a number of opportunities. Our relationship is very rewarding and it’s one we value,” Chief Executive Officer at BeneTerra, Tony Stapleton, said.
Wastewater from remote oil and gas operations is typically transported by road, often over long distances, which drives up costs. One way of reducing costs is by reducing the amount of wastewater that needs to be transported, something BeneTerra’s BenVap machines can do with ease.
“Our expansion into Australia is turning into a tremendous success – thanks to Powered’s support, we are successfully breaking into the Australian market,” VP International Sales at Gentherm Global Power Technologies, Garry Forbes, said.
One of Gentherm’s customers recently replaced its aging and unreliable solar power system with a Thermo Electric Generator (TEG), decreasing operating costs due to the TEG’s reliability as a dispatchable form of power.
Roochey, an online business-to-business trading platform where users can browse thousands of parts, machinery and equipment for sale, also agreed that the industry must come together.
“Roochey needed someone embedded in the Australian energy sector but also with a diverse range of industrial contacts, to help cover our potential markets. Powered have this, as well as the experience and professionalism required to market our B2B online selling platform,” founder of Roochey, Anna Cheyda, said.
Strategic partnerships can take a variety of forms, and it’s evident that there are plenty of opportunities for companies to strengthen their operations, cut costs and propel the industry forward by collaborating with complimentary service providers.
Wade Elofson, founder of Powered, said the best experiences for Australian companies are the result of great partnerships.
“We look for companies who can provide innovative solutions to the common challenges energy providers face and can help drive down the cost of energy production in Australia,” Mr Elofson said.
“Partnerships are vital not only for successful project execution, but also provide a bigger network that can help companies share technologies and new processes, which in turn can improve efficiency and reduce costs.
“By working together for shared goals, creating more efficient ways to work and learning from each other, we can collectively overcome any challenges to developing a world leading and globally competitive oil and gas sector.”
For more information, contact Wade Elofson, founder of Powered, at welofson@poweredaus.com.au or on 04 7412 8517.
