Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has acquired a significant shareholding in Airborne Oil & Gas (AOG), a manufacturer of thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) for oil and gas applications.
AOG, with a head office in the Netherlands, said in a statement on Thursday that the investment by Sumitomo Corporation strengthens a strategic partnership which both companies entered into in 2016, in which the companies collaborate to provide the oil & gas industry with cost effective TCP technology solutions that are non-corrosive, light-weight and result in significantly lower total installed cost.
Takushi Kikuchi , General Manager for Tubular Products Units of Sumitomo Corporation Europe Limited, stated: “I am very pleased with this investment in Airborne Oil & Gas, as we are committed to deliver cost reduction and efficiency to the Oil & Gas industry, introducing new technologies and business models.”
Kikuchi added: “We believe that TCP technology has achieved a breakthrough in the market place and have a disruptive potential for SURF applications. The industry is now, more than ever, ready to embrace such new technology; Sumitomo Corporation and Airborne Oil & Gas are very well positioned to provide valuable solutions from this partnership.”
Aleksandra Wrobe l, CFO of AOG said: “We are very proud of our shareholder base, which already included Shell, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, Evonik and Subsea 7. We are delighted to welcome Sumitomo Corporation in this group, and to be able to work together moving forward.”
Martin van Onna , CCO of AOG, added: “We look forward to leveraging Sumitomo’s vast network of experts, offering TCP solutions where they fit best, be it stand alone or part of larger subsea infrastructures.”