Desi Oilfield Exhibitors; Many Indians Rush to OTC 2013
Vice-president T.J. Sinha and president P. Kumar (center in black coats).
By Jawahar Malhotra
HOUSTON: This year’s Offshore Technology Conference drew in thousands of exhibitors and visitors from all across the globe, with thousands thronging the Reliant Center, Reliant Arena and the outdoor exhibits in between for the four day event.
American Block pavillion
Darshana and Rajini Shah (on right) with staff.
The OTC is world renowned for bringing together products, services and professionals who are involved in the rush to bring oil and gas to the surface from the deeps of the blue waters off the coastlines. The 45 year-old conference is a huge boost to the local Houston economy, drawing in a record 80,000 people this year and other spin off events, like the Crawfish Boil at the University of Houston and the numerous other barbeque cook-off’s and private banquets make the OTC as unique to the Bayou City’s fortunes as the Livestock Show and Rodeo that is held in the same venue every February.
(Right) :T J Sinha with the Indian Consul General when he visited the American Completion Tools booth.
The event reinforces Houston’s position as the world’s capital for oil and gas drilling and has become such a huge success that the organizing corporation has also launched similar events elsewhere – the OTC Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March 2014 and the OTC Brasil in Rio de Janeiro in October 2013 – plus an Arctic Technology Conference in Houston next February.
Among the 2,700 exhibitors three with deep Indian roots were present once again. Tata Steel, headquartered in the UK but with a local office in Sugar Land, once again had its large exhibit highlighting its pipeline solutions.
Indian Consul General at the Tata Steel exhibit.
American Block Manufacturing, a homegrown 34 year-old firm on Breen Road that designs and manufactures oilfield and marine equipment, owned by Rajini and Darshana Shah brought in many visitors to its large red and black pavilion, manned by the Shah’s, their son and other staff.
And, American Completion Tools of Burleson, Texas, 20-minutes south of Fort Worth had a booth near the front, manned by veteran oilfield professional Vice-President T.J. Sinha, Dev Sinha and others. The firm manufactures oilfield parts and has a flow-line products division on Solon Road in Houston.
Among the visitors to the OTC were a number of Indian professionals, many local and a large contingent from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry which held a day-long workshop in the Reliant Arena on Tuesday, May 7 . The Indian Consul General P. Harish visited each of the Indian exhibits before the workshop.