SPX Flow, a leading manufacturer of oil and gas engineering products, has formed a joint venture with Al Wajdi Group, a leading engineering, supply, construction and service group, to set up a mechanical equipment service centre in southern Iraq.

The initiative marks the company’s latest consolidation of its services and products in Iraq, as it continues to strengthen its wider presence in the Gulf region, SPX Flow said in a statement.

According to the company, the JV will operate under the name of “SPX Flow & WTE Energy Industrial Services FZCO“ and will cater to the service of all rotating and static equipment for oil and gas, industrial and power customers in Iraq. It will have offices in Dubai, with local operations and a subsidiary entity `S&W Energy Industrial Services’ based in North Rumalia Oil Field in southern Iraq.

SPX Flow and WTE have already constructed a 1,000 sq m fully-equipped workshop within the Rumalia Concession Area in Iraq. The workshop in Basrah Provence is centrally located in the heartland of Iraq’s oil producing south and is strategically located to provide easy access to Iraq’s “Super Giant “ oil fields – Zubair, Majnoon, Rumalia, West Quarna, Garraf, and Missan as well as accessible to serve Basrah and Baghdad refineries and power stations.

The JV company will provide the following services: field service, site survey, workshop overhaul and maintenance services for all manufacturers of rotating equipment including centrifugal, reciprocating, and metering pumps, mixers, as well as static equipment service – valves, filters and quick release closures. Its purpose will also be as a resource to support new equipment and spares supply activities of SPX Flow’s team and channel partner who will continue to focus on these projects in region.

Through this joint venture, SPX Flow will jointly build upon WTE’s well-established presence, experience and knowledge of the Iraqi market while expanding on SPX Flow’s extensive long-standing installed base in Iraq through its ClydeUnion pumps, Bran & Luebbe, Plenty & Lightnin mixer and copes and M&J Valve brands.

Through localisation SPX Flow engineering and service capabilities in Iraq, SPX Flow & WTE aim to partner with both international oil companies (IOCs) and state companies as they assist Iraq’s industrial redevelopment and ramp up its daily oil production.

According to Mortimer Buckley, regional general manager, SPX Flow Middle East: “I’m very excited by the opportunity that the JV with WTE in Iraq provides. It bolsters SPX Flow’s global commitment to localise service capabilities in proximity to our key clients and enables us to best serve and quickly respond to their requirements. The unique challenges of the Iraqi market highlight the need for us to provide a tailored service for our clients. They appreciate our commitment to be there with them at all times.”

Falah Wajdi, owner and general manager, WTE Wajdi Group said: “The JV with SPX Flow is a significant step towards our vision of delivering a world class service locally. The new Service Centre located within WTE’s North Rumaila compound will provide the installed base around the country with a key hub for vital services for all types of rotating and static equipment, regardless of the original equipment manufacturer. I look forward to collaborating closely with SPX Flow to serve IOC’s and state companies in the region.”

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX Flow is a global supplier of highly engineered flow components, process equipment and turn-key systems, along with the related aftermarket parts and services, into the food and beverage, power and energy and industrial end markets. SPX Flow has approximately $2 billion in annual revenues, operations in over 35 countries and sales in over 150 countries.

WTE is a leading Iraqi electro-mechanical engineering, supply, construction and service group. Established in 1988, it provides uninterrupted service to the country’s major industries with its 120-strong local workforce located at its branches, service centers and workshops in Baghdad, Erbil, Kirkuk, Basrah and Rumaila Oilfield.

WTE is involved in the supply, installation, repair and maintenance of oil and gas equipment and plants, through significant local investment in personnel and facilities since 1996, which has made it the Iraqi partner of choice for IOCs and OEMs. This enables WTE to partner with premium quality international brands and offer the best possible solutions for individual projects that are tailored to clients’ specific needs.