Industry

IntrospeXION will now deliver its behavioural risk and wellbeing consultancy services to clients in the Middle East. (Image source: IntrospeXION)

IntrospeXion, a specialist consultancy firm providing mental health and wellbeing support to offshore and energy workforces, is expanding into the Middle East

The company, led by experienced psychologists and mental health practitioners, will now deliver its behavioural risk and wellbeing consultancy services to clients in the Middle East following the award of new contracts.

Working with regional-specific supply chain and service companies, IntrospeXion will provide a range of support, including on-site mental health hubs and drop-in clinics, audits and assessments, and leadership coaching to top-level energy executives. IntrospeXion will also help new clientele working in complex and demanding environments, such as offshore, to ensure they have direct access to mental health support.

The expansion into the Middle East represents IntrospeXion’s continued growth since first entering the market, demonstrating how companies are increasingly looking to prioritise the wellbeing of their employees to bolster resilience, support teams, and embed psychologically safe practices within safety cultures.

Shabnum Hanif, IntrospeXion’s founder and managing director, commented, “In the energy and offshore industry, HSE and employee wellbeing isn’t limited to the physical risks that they encounter on-site; it's about a holistic approach that encompasses mental health and welfare. When we take care of every risk our people face, we are placing the industry in the best position to push forward. While visiting contacts in the Middle East, it was evident that there was a clear recognition that caring for and investing in people is an integral part of business growth, but that there aren’t always accessible or manageable resources to utilise.

“By moving into the Middle East market, we can provide that resource. Tackling offshore operations and internal mental health policies and frameworks, we are determined to keep demonstrating that wellbeing is not a “nice to have” but rather that it should be ingrained within the operational infrastructure. We are confident that we can help make a difference in the region.”

The project is designed to support long-term asset reliability and help operators move from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies. (Image source: John Crane)

John Crane, a global leader in flow control technologies and an innovator in solutions for rotating equipment, has built a complete maintenance data set in Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) for a gas storage facility in Saudi Arabia

The project, designed to support long-term asset reliability and help operators move from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies, was delivered through John Crane’s Reliability Engineering for Maintenance module within the Performance Plus framework, which is designed to enable smarter decision-making based on improved data accuracy and accessibility.

Following a year-long collaboration, the project delivered a structured maintenance database covering more than 58,000 validated assets, more than double the original project scope. To address these challenges of incomplete documentation and missing equipment records, the John Crane team conducted on-site surveys to gather missing data, applied document indexing to structure and validate existing materials, and deployed additional technical expertise to meet the expanded scope and timeline.

This approach enabled the creation of a complete asset hierarchy and the integration of structured maintenance plans, spare parts lists, failure modes, and operating procedures within the SAP environment.

This resulted in a fully populated Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that improves asset visibility, supports predictive maintenance, ensures uptime, reduces costs, and drives operational excellence. Without this foundational work, asset visibility and lifecycle management would be compromised, increasing the risk of inefficiencies, unplanned downtime and compliance gaps.

With this data foundation in place, the facility is equipped to maintain high levels of reliability and efficiency from day one while supporting future operational scale and performance.

Amjad Alqaqa’a, vice president - Middle East and Africa at John Crane, said: “Establishing accurate asset data and maintenance structures early gives operators the ability to understand their equipment, plan maintenance effectively, and respond quickly when issues arise. John Crane Performance Plus is designed to provide that visibility, enabling them to move from reactive maintenance to a more proactive approach that strengthens reliability and supports long-term operational continuity.”

The contracts are related to the offshore Safaniya oilfield. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Saipem has been awarded two offshore contracts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together worth around US$400mn, under its existing Long-Term Agreement with Aramco

The first covers the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) of one water injection tie-in platform, two water injection wellheads, approximately 5 km of pipeline with diameters of 24 inches and approximately 15 km of 15kV cables at the Safaniya oilfield. The second contract includes the EPCI activities for four water injection wellheads, as well as associated subsea facilities, also at the Safaniya oilfield.

For the offshore operations, Saipem will employ its construction vessels that are currently deployed in the region.

The fabrication activities related to the projects will be executed at Saipem’s Saudi Fabrication Yard by Saipem Taqa Al-Rushaid Fabricators Co. Ltd. which continues to contribute to the development of local industry capabilities.

One of the world’s largest offshore oilfields, Safaniya holds around 37bn bbl of reserves and has a production capacity of over 1.2mn bpd. It is located around 265 km north of Dhahran.

Saipem was in February awarded a US$500mn offshore contract under its Long-Term Agreement with Aramco, covering the EPCI of a 48inch trunkline, comprising approximately 65 km offshore and 12 km onshore, as well as associated subsea facilities in the Safaniya oilfield.

The award of these new contracts strengthens Saipem’s presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and further consolidates its longstanding relationship with Aramco.

The conflict in the Middle East could result in repair and restoration costs for energy infrastructure of up to US$58bn, with the speed of recovery depending on how quickly operators can secure access to constrained supply chains, says Rystad Energy

Overall, repair costs for the oil and gas sector are estimated at between US$30-50bn, with non-hydrocarbon infrastructure including aluminium smelters, steel plants, power stations and desalination facilities adding a further US$3-8 bn.

The main constraint to recovery, is access to equipment, contractors and logistics, with repair activity and the restoration of existing production being prioritised over new project execution and greenfield developments.

Rystad notes the divergence in recovery paths between countries and assets, with some facilities where damage was contained and contractor capacity was already present being able to resume operations within weeks, particularly where work is limited to surface equipment and modular repairs. In contrast, recovery could take years where facilities require construction of core process units or are dependent on long-lead equipment .

Downstream refining and petrochemical assets account for the largest share of repair costs, reflecting their complexity and the extent to which they were impacted in the later stages of the ongoing war. Midstream and upstream assets follow, while wells and industrial infrastructure are less impacted.

Iran accounts for the highest number of impacted facilities with repair costs potentially up to US$19bn, with damage sustained across the value chain, with simultaneous disruption to processing, refining storage and exports. Restoration and repair will likely take longer than elsewhere in the Gulf due not only to the damage incurred but also because of lack of access to western EPC contractors, OEMs and technologies.

In Qatar, damage is centred on Ras Laffan Industrial City, where multiple LNG trains have been affected alongside disruption at the Pearl gas-to-liquids facility. Redirection of capacity towards repair activity could lead to delays in ongoing expansion projects such as the North Field expansion.

Recovery timelines are less dependent on on-site execution and the scale of impact and more on how quickly operators can secure access to constrained supply chains says Rystad.

“What is emerging is less a reconstruction programme and more a competition for access – access to equipment, contractors and logistics capacity.

“Those that move early will secure capacity and shorten timelines, while others may face delays that extend well beyond the physical scope of damage.”

Karan Satwani, senior analyst, supply chain research commented, “This is no longer just a story about damaged facilities in the Gulf. It is a stress test for the global energy supply chain.

“The same equipment and contractors needed to rebuild are already committed to a wave of LNG and offshore projects sanctioned since 2023.

“Repair work does not create new capacity, it redirects existing capacity, and that redirection will be felt in project delays and into inflation far beyond the Middle East.

“The US$58 bn bill is the headline, but ththe knock-on effects on energy investment timelines globally may prove just as significant.”