What is the origin story of Artemis Energy?
Our principal company Artemis Energy Limited was formed by my father, Roger Mike in 2017, having spent many years as a senior banker with responsibility for his bank’s energy sector portfolio. He also held the post of Vice President – Investment & Trade of the STCIC, now the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago. Five years prior to his retirement age, he left banking to become CEO of one of the largest local Energy Services companies.
Upon retirement, he formed Artemis Energy Limited with the intention of it becoming in due course a family owned organization.
To date, we remain family owned but are complimented by competent local staff who have worked in industry (Rowan Companies, Valaris, Perenco, RBC, Petrotrin to name a few) and have added immediate value to our offering.
Our core service offering is Integrated Manpower and Logistics solutions to support drilling campaigns locally and internationally. Our marquee mandates have been the award of the local labor on board the Valaris EXL II and Joe Douglas (the latter via our sister company, Orion Manpower Services Limited) – two JackUp drilling rigs which were drilling for BPTT. Our successful track record in managing these Jack Ups here at home, has afforded us the opportunity to place some of our personnel in Mexico to assist in their ongoing operations.
Where do you see the main growth opportunities for your company in the next 3 – 5 years?
Trinidad and Tobago continues to be a petroleum province and so we would continue to seek out such opportunities as they arise in the local sector. We have moved further along in the supply chain and so have added logistics to our group which gives further opportunities for organic growth. As more regional companies embrace the opportunities inherent in that sector, we would seek to move out regionally as well.
There is the view shared by many that while we are a matured province, there is still much to explore locally, both onshore and offshore. We have been following such opportunities and hope that the decision makers continue to make our destination as attractive as possible so that we may attract the required global interests.
What are some of the major offshore developments in T&T/abroad that excite you?
Guyana, Suriname and Mexico quickly come to mind for the obvious reasons i.e. given the size of their recent finds and heightened exploration activity. Also, we are aware of the steps being taken and reportedly achieved by the government in regard to the extension of our continental rights to the hydrocarbons at far greater depths than we have been before. (Barbados, T&T unitization agreement). This augurs well for our local industry.
The State’s influence lies at the center of our industry and therefore the State’s decision making would impact this sector’s success. Regrettably, ours is also a global industry and therefore there are many things over which our government would not have control.
What we feel is required from the State is the ability to have quick responses to industry events especially those with strong correlations to what we require here at home. The State officials must constantly bear in mind that this industry is one that continues to make by far the largest contribution to the nation’s foreign exchange and one of the more significant contributions to our country’s GDP. It must therefore be considered a privileged industry and be treated accordingly. Put simply, until we can justifiably say otherwise, what is good for our oil and gas industry must be good for our country.