The Bangkok office of engineering firm Optimus has won business worth more than £600,000 in the past year as it “gained traction” in Southeast Asia.
The Aberdeen-headquartered firm now has its sights set on Japan and Indonesia just three years after establishing its business in Thailand.
David Morton, director and principle process engineer for the Thai operation said: “We expanded into Thailand three years ago to capitalise on this well-established oil and gas province that was, up until then, inadequately supported by mature consultancies with North Sea experience. After a steady start, the operation has really started to gain traction in the past year. We’ve just signed our ninth big client and have developed relationships with local outfits in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
“Our reach is rapidly expanding throughout southeast Asia, with contract wins seeing us work in Vietnam, Malaysia and very recently Myanmar. Japan and Indonesia are next in our sights.” Since setting up the office in November 2010, Optimus has won contracts with a range of firms including PTTEP, the Thai national oil company; Salamander Engineering, a British-based oil and gas exploration and production company; and US-based Apico which made its third gas field discovery in Thailand’s Kalasin province in 2012. Other clients of the Thai operation are Conoco Phillips, Expro and Glow GDF Suez.
“The last 12 months have shown there is a market in the region for an alternative to the larger service providers,” added Mr Morton.
At the end of last year, Optimus made Gordon House on Rubislaw Den North its new international headquarters. The business employs 107 people with 86 based in Aberdeen and 11 in the Inverness office which launched 18 months ago to tap into the burgeoning energy industry in the Highlands.
Optimus employs 10 people in its Bangkok office. It was founded in 1999 by director Ian Bell and turned over £12.3million in 2012, up 15% from £10.7million in 2011.