EC Harris set for major deal with Shell to oversee 40 production sites

EC Harris is in talks over a massive deal with oil and gas giant Shell, which will expand the reach of the consultancy firm into managing energy production processes.

The deal, expected to be signed within the next few days, will result in EC Harris maintaining oil and gas production systems across 40 Shell sites worldwide. It is understood that EC Harris will move beyond providing consultancy services and into monitoring and improving the production process.

A market source said he was expecting the deal to be finalised “imminently”.

It is understood that under the terms of the deal, EC Harris will use technological systems to compare the oil and gas production processes used on sites in different countries. It will identify a series of best practice “norms” that should be employed for every task in the oil and gas industry. EC Harris will then help Shell to implement the most efficient processes in its sites in other areas.

The deal is also expected to enable EC Harris to expand its business geographically. This includes setting up a presence in the USA, a region in which the firm has not previously set up any permanent offices.

If EC Harris wins a major contract in any country, the firm will look to set up offices in that region

Source

A source said: “The way the firm works is to go to other countries off the back of our clients. So if EC Harris wins a major contract in any country it will look to set up offices in that region. The firm doesn’t usually see these bases as a temporary measure.”

The move comes as Shell announced plans to invest £340m in the Libyan gas industry by rejuvenating a liquefied natural gas plant on the Libyan coast. It is currently unclear whether EC Harris will become involved on this particular site.

An EC Harris spokesperson said the company could not comment on the deal.

The spokesperson said: “We will not comment on market speculation.”