Company News

Specialist oil and gas project management company EPC Offshore has appointment a new head of business development to expand the firm’s customer base across the North Sea and internationally.

US-based aluminum giant Alcoa expects aluminum demand to increase 7% to 49.4Mt in 2013, up 1% from the 6% growth experienced in 2012, according to CEO Klaus Kleinfeld. The bump in global demand will be bolstered by an 11% expansion in demand from China, as well as strong growth from Brazil (3%), Russia (1%) and India (3%), Kleinfeld said during a conference call to discuss the company's financial results. The change in demand from North America and Europe should remain relatively similar to last year, with North America seeing a 4% increase in demand (equal to the 2012 growth figure) and European demand, which fell by 2% in 2012, declining by just 1% year-on-year in 2013. Globally, the company is looking at growth in all of its end markets this year, Kleinfeld said. As a result of the expected demand growth, Alcoa is projecting a 200,000t alumina deficit and a 535,000t aluminum surplus in 2013.

The New Year auspiciously rolled out with international consulting and research firm Kline & Company announcing the promotion of Geeta Agashe, a highly respected authority within the lubricants, base oils, and petroleum specialties market, to Senior Vice President of Petroleum & Energy on Kline Management Consulting team.

Mechanical engineering company, EnerMech, is to open a second Norwegian base as part of a GBP 3 million investment to grow its Scandinavian business.