Taranaki technology Egypt-bound
An Inglewood back shed business is taking the world by storm with its digital technology.
Digital Insight last night packaged and transported hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of remotely operated ultrasonic testing equipment to Egypt to assist in the scheduled shutdown of an oil company.
It's the first time the technology has been used to test the thickness of steel in a vessel instead of people climbing in the vessel and doing it manually.
Digital Insight chief executive Ash Peters said the ramifications for oil companies around the world were huge. "This technology has reduced the manpower needed, it's far safer and it's reduced the scaffolding and maintenance required," he said.
The Inglewood-based company has been operating for 12 years and now has contracts throughout New Zealand, Australia, Houston, London, Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia and China.
The fact that engineers in New Zealand can come up with this technology and take it to a global market is fantastic.
"People don't believe me overseas when I tell them we work out of a shed in the middle of the country, and then I show them photos and they are shocked," Mr Peters said.
The latest build was designed over the past eight to 12 months and will be tested in Egypt next month on a two-week shutdown.
"Some of these companies have 3 1/2-week shutdown periods and our equipment reduces that to under two weeks."
With some American oil companies losing US$11 million a day in production when they are shut down, any reduction is a bonus.
"These companies don't want to be shut down a single minute longer than they have to be and we're able to reduce the amount of time by 10 to 15 days," he said.
The benefits of working for Digital Insight include travelling to places all over the world to operate the company's equipment.
"The guys get to go to some great places but there are some awful places they have to work as well. But the boys heading off in the next couple of weeks are looking forward to the warmer climate in Egypt," he said.