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Power generators for oil and gas are in short supply because of the demands of the building boom.

Power generators are important tools for any company who want extra protection against power loss in emergencies.

For the oil and gas industry, power generators are a very important necessity. These generators provide key power sources within the sector, particularly out in the field, powering drilling and other exploration activity.

The procedure of deep earth and offshore drilling, pumping, and the actual delivery of the finished product are significant, and these are only a few of the many power-dependent tasks involved in the oil and gas sector.

Larger companies especially, rely heavily on power generators in order to maintain a steady, reliable business operation.

Additionally, diesel power generators provide backup power to these companies' main facilities and operations. If there is an emergency or disaster and the main power is shut down, generators can assist with backup, allowing business to continue as usual. This can save a huge amount, both in terms of costs and down time.

However, the seemingly never-ending construction sites have generated a major increase in demand, leaving the oil and gas sector with a shortfall for such equipment.

The Jubaili Bros, is a supplier of diesel electric powered generators. The company's equipment has typical power levels ranging from 10kVA up to 220kVA - making it suitable for a variety of applications.

The company works exclusively with three brands, JET - manufactured in Lebanon - FG and Wilson, both manufactured in the UK. It has leased and sold their generators on a number of different projects globally, as well as countries in the GCC, such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Yet the company is finding its equipment and services are running short in comparison to what's demanded of them.

"Construction in the GCC surpasses the utilities' ability to keep up, creating high demand. And there are shortages of big generators in the market," said Jad Jubaili, assistant manager, Jubaili Bros Middle East.

"The demand for generators in the Middle East is extremely strong, particularly in the oil and gas sector where power supply is essential ... at this time keeping up with demand is our major problem," he added.

The Jubaili Bros services were required during two major gas projects in the region. The first was the Asab Gas Gathering and Injection Project (1996) in Abu Dhabi and used 5x 500 kVA generators (with a synchronising system) running in parallel for a total output of 2500 kVA.

The second was the Qatar General Petroleum Company's Ras Laffan gas project, where the Jubaili Bros supplied 3x 500 kVA generators (in parallel) for a total output of 1500 kVA in 1997 - the majority of its generators are distributed across numerous construction sites.

Availability shortages

Despite the rising demand for generators within the oil and gas sector, there is an obvious deficiency in how many can actually be supplied to fit the requirements of any one company.

While Dubai is one example, the city's distribution challenge is not unique to the region. Countries in the Middle East consume almost 20% of the world's export of portable generators. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait are just a few of the many countries in the Middle East turning to generator power on oil and gas exploration and drilling sites.

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