Oil and gas engineering specialist, Stats Group, has appointed Vikas Shangari as the new business development manager for the Middle East as part of its regional expansion plans.

The Aberdeen-based company is a specialist in designing, manufacturing and installation of a range of patented technologies used in pipeline integrity and isolation.

Shangari has more than 14 years experience in business development and operations management and for the last eight years was Qatar country manager for engineering company Hydratight, said a company statement.

His valuable knowledge of the Middle East hydrocarbons industries will underpin Stats' drive to gain market share in this potentially lucrative region, it added.

The Stats group plans to roll out its Bisep and Tecno Plug range of tools in the Gulf region.

Earlier this year, Stats had completed a successful isolation and maintenance project in Qatar on behalf of Dolphin Energy, which followed other contracts in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.

The company is in the process of establishing a business unit in Doha, Qatar, and a branch in the UAE.

Stats Group managing director, Pete Duguid, said: “We know there is a lot of potential to grow our business in Qatar and other Gulf states but equally we know the importance of having our own people on the ground and being readily accessible to clients and responsive to their requirements."

"Vikas’ in-depth knowledge of Qatar and the wider region will provide us with that important link with the client on the ground and we are confident he can help us to fast track growth and firmly establish our presence in this important sector," he stated.

Stats employs 120 people and plans to recruit an additional 20 staff in the next year, during which it expects turnover to grow by 25 per cent from around $25 million to $31.5 million.

On his role, Vikas said: “Stats has an excellent reputation of providing high integrity solutions and a long track record of safety and reliability and that gives us a competitive edge which marks us out from competitors."

“My role is to get our technology in front of key maintenance and inspection personnel and I am confident that once potential clients see what Stats can offer, that the business in the Middle East will move up to a new level," he added.-TradeArabia News Service