Personal Life of Jack Boath
The Emirates Media: Why did you decide to become involved in this business and what type of Company do you own?
Jack Boath: Emirates specialised contracting and oil field service limited commonly referred to as ESCO is an energy service company that mainly focuses on delivering specialised and professional inspection, maintenance and consulting services associated with assets life cycle with an overall aim of sustainably maximising the operational utility of its clients’ assets.
It is an Emirati company and has its base in the city of Abu Dhabi, had a strong foundation when it set its path as an offshore support services company in the testing Oil & Gas industry. With initial local Emirati ownership and an over-arching international management team the company embarked on a programme of value-add services including inspections and maintenance and thus establishing a reputation for reliability and high-quality service.
Separate significant events characterise the story of our great company, stressing our desire to develop sustainably. Central to this recipe has been our rich antecedents coupled with unique and quite unmatched management consultancy services being offered for Offshore Rig and Platform Inspections. Over the years, we have always ensured that we do not only work to the standards set in the market but try to set new standards.
As a result of taking the service transition forward, we also initiated a centre of excellence for training under the umbrella of ACTVET (Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training) for the building of industry competency and professional employee growth. : This initiative underpinned our commitment to enhancing industry knowledge and skills as well as developing the manpower of the future.
With the rapid changes in technology today, ESCO has been proactive and time effective by venturing into Drones – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). This step represents our on-going revolution agenda, and our desire to drive the culture of digitization, automation and knowledge acquisition & development.
In addition to reaffirming our commitment to technological development, we have deliberately incorporated additional high-tech equipment with emphases on drone and robotic services. This strategic investment shows our desire for the company to be among the top industry players that sets pace for change and standards. The milestones listed above clearly reveal our continuous quest for innovation and initiatives to help transform the sectors we operate in.
Jack Boath – Goals & Strength
The Emirates Media: What are your goals?
Jack Boath: Looking ahead, ESCO’s vision is in sharp perspective – to strengthen customer loyalty, build new key strategic alliances and guarantee business sustainability for its clients, all the while, creating more and more value.
To ensure that we are able to cultivate long-term relationships with our customers, identifying what any one of them needs and faces in his business will remain one of our primary goals, alongside the goal of offering them solutions that will be exceptionally valuable for their operations. We will also continue to improve our service portfolios, consistently striving not only to satisfy our customers but to gain their loyalty and further solidify our relationship as one of their strategic suppliers.
As we constantly aim at achieving innovative solutions and development, we will engage in partnerships that enable local access to existing international solutions. Being a partner to the industry’s leaders, we strive to bring to our areas of operation the most advanced offerings of the global energy industry. These partnerships will also enhance our service portfolios and the ability to participate in shaping the development of the local energy sector.
Sustainability underpins most of our future strategies. As an energy services company we realise and accept this responsibility to be at the forefront of defining the future of the energy industry. Consequently, we shall continue to strive and ensure that sustainability in all aspects of our affairs in service delivery and partnerships. We shall closely support our customers and guide them on their sustainability process while providing them with Categories: Environmentally friendly and business-advantageous solutions.
In other words, the future of ESCO relies on building long-lasting partnerships, developing new ones that would serve as a platform for innovation and focus on sustainability, and on delivering unsurpassed value to our client audience. As we thus embark on this exciting proposition we therefore remain steadfast in our mission, vision and values as we are guided by quality, flexibility and a customer orientation.
What according to you would be the greatest opportunity for “ESCO” currently?
Jack Boath: ESCO being an industry expert in oilfield services has for long embraced change to stay relevant in the energy business. Our experience started with solving specific and complicated tasks that require interaction with the regulatory authorities and highly technological procedures. In the course of such evolution in our services we have transitioned into a turnkey services company the result of which is commitment to evolve and provide turnkey services.
With the shift in the energy sector to more renewable power along with increased technological advancement, we have carefully built our services for such transitions. We have diversified into the areas of Surveillance and Renewables where state-of-the-art technology can provide sound energy solutions.
Our service expansion has enabled us to post a stronger and more influential position in both government and party sectors. We see the change in the energy sector as Austraff not a threat but as an opportunity to reinvent our services, to offer the essence of both conventional and renewable power sources.
In addition, greatest emphasis on the advanced technologies symbolising digitalizations and automation underlines our capability to set direction for the future oriented energy industry. In other words, it is consistent with our oilfield services heritage, but it is also reflective of the Tech 4 Future and sustainability initiatives now shaping the UAE’s energy services industry.
In other words, ESCO is a company that plays an intermediary role as a company that has a relatively conservative business model and at the same time offers services that are as relevant as they are innovative, tightly anchored by the principle of constant change to reflect the changing face of the energy industry.
A Power Holdings Company Vision and Project of Jack Boath
The Emirates Media: I would like to understand how you design, develop and construct energy-saving projects in detail.
Jack Boath: Certainly! Auditing, diving, rope access and inspection or servicing as they are often referred to require detailed work and safety as well as result yielding creativity.
Assessment & Scoping: The first promotes defining what the specific kind of inspection needed is. This could be by type of infrastructure, or depth or any other perceived difficulties that are expected to be encountered. Before drawing up a detailed plan of the project, we discuss the necessary scale and goals with clients.
Site Reconnaissance: Before the primary work at the site, we use scouts in it. They assess the environment, identify risks that may occur and collect data that may be necessary in the future. This contributes to developing an elaborate strategy.
Equipment Selection: According to the requirements and the collected and estimated data, we decide on the diving equipment, tools, and underwater vehicles including ROVs, which are needed for the efficient performance of the inspection.
Team Assignment: Each project may include divers who are required to have some unique training or equipment. Our diving team is carefully selected depending on the particular project, so they are not only professionals but safe ones.
Safety Protocols: Safety is paramount. Although the exercise does not involve actual diving, we set safety standards and engage in equipment inspection, as well as death drills for divers.
Operational Planning: This includes an analysis of the dive plan, expectations for individual and team roles and responsibilities, and the organisation of communication pathways between divers, support personnel and safety personnel.
Execution: And finally what has been planned and prepared for is the actual diving and inspection. With the aid of better imaging and detection equipment, the divers pay great attention in examining and taking pictures or videos of the current state of the site.
Data Collection & Analysis: The collected raw data of the dive requires analytical studying. In today’s world, this data can be translated into detailed report form or graphs and even into policy change advice.
Client Debrief: Having gathered data, we then provide the client with results of the structure’s inspection, possible dangers, and recommended works on its strengthening and repairing.
Continuous Training: The field of underwater inspection is quite dynamic and more and more innovations and improved methods are being developed. Divers and analysts of E.A. Tech also seize an opportunity to learn conforming to the state of the art knowledge during the training sessions.
Review & Feedback: There is something that can be learnt in every project. We analyse our activities in the process of organisational completion while taking feedback from the team and clients involved. This makes us fine tuned for future missions.
Advice from Jack Boath
The Emirates Media: Now do you have any other message you would like to convey to our viewers?
Jack Boath: There are several other aspects of ESCO that I would like to mention further to get an understanding of the company’s focus on quality services to the clients.
Firstly, our Diving (Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Dry-Docking, or UWILD) services demonstrate how we can work under conditions that might be considered hazardous for other companies, but still ensure the best safety of our workers. UWILD is an important requirement in sustaining offshore construction and floating platforms. Our professional, PADI and NDRA certified divers supervise and conduct thorough underwater examinations and removing without causing damage to the assets of our clients while reducing the time they spend off line and preserving our seas.
More than our operation capacity we have accreditations and qualifications which enhance the aspect of quality delivery. We hold various certifications including Information Security, Energy, Facility & Asset management certification which is an evidence of our compliance with various international standards for quality, safety and the environment. We also possess certification-related with distinguished classification societies such as DNV and the ABS. Quick turnaround of these certifications not only underlines our focus on quality and safety aspects but also manifests our organisational commitment to offer safety standards warranted by the respective industry only.
Another area that it will be relevant to focus on is Hydraulic Workover and Frac technology. Hydraulic workover units are widely used in well intervention work and are cheaper than most methods. We use our Stage Completions’ Frac technology to greatly improve oil and gas recovery. These specialised professionals focus on ensuring that we provide solutions that would provide maximum return on the investment of our clients.
Finally, I would like to highlight our focus on new technologies, and thanked us for investing in a Joint Venture Partnership with Hydrogenious LOHC technology. LOHC technology offers a safe and efficient way to store and transport hydrogen, an essential component of any successful energy transition. At ESCO we are always in the lookout for such innovative technologies as the ones that can make a difference for sustainability of the energy sector.
These commitments are present day-in-day-out as we incorporate new features and explore and develop the latest and greatest techniques in trading and strive to offer only the best with the finest standards of quality. It is thus through this commitment that the group’s vision can be realised to create value for the clients and pave the way for development of the energy sector.
