Engineering services firm Kent has won a three-year deal with energy giant Shell.
Kent, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Nesma & Partners, has struck an enterprise framework agreement with Shell to provide commissioning and start-up (CSU) services across over 20 project locations, both onshore and offshore.
The framework enables Kent to work on Shell’s oil and gas and new energy schemes on a project-by-project basis.
In a statement, the Dubai-headquartered firm said the contract will be managed by its global team to cover each of the regions Shell is executing works by way of purchase orders. Kent’s framework directorship will be handled by its EU-based operations management group.
Kent will support the Shell portfolio with their CSU workforce while implementing its commissioning processes, systems, and tools throughout the program of works, including its custom-built Commissionability software. This contract will seek to “eliminate outcome variability” related to commissioning readiness and execution while optimising the start-up schedule and reliability of new facilities.
Kent chief operating office Tush Doshi said the firm was “immensely proud” to have won the “prestigious” contract.
He added: “This is not only a testament to our confidence in our exceptional commissioning capabilities but also underscores the trust we have cultivated with Shell.”
Kent said it employs 13,000 and is a $1.4 billion revenue global business.
It was snapped up by Nesma early in 2024 from its private equity owners, Bluewater.
Originally founded in Ireland in 1919, Kent – then known as Kentech – was acquired by Bluewater in 2015. It then bought the SNC-Lavalin’s oil and gas business in 2021.
Nesma and Kent began collaborating in 2022 when they established a joint venture, NesmaKent, an “EPC champion” for Saudi Aramco. Its goal is building an autonomous engineering center of excellence in Saudi Arabia to develop new capabilities in engineering, procurement, and construction services relating to carbon capture, blue hydrogen, and blue ammonia technologies.