Through its long-standing relationship with GAC worldwide, Pacific Drilling has appointed GAC North America – Logistics to provide centralized warehousing and distribution services to its two offshore rigs in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
A portion of GAC’s 181,000 square foot Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) status warehouse space in Houston, is dedicated to Pacific Drilling in a bid to offset and reduce their procurement costs and better utilize tooling and inventory.
The global ultra-deepwater oil and gas drilling service provider will also use GAC’s facility in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, from where GAC will provide ship spares services and weekly consolidations for containers to be shipped out to the rigs through Port Fourchon.
“With the cooperation and support of GAC, Pacific Drilling has raised the industry bar on cost savings and operational excellence by creating a centralized warehouse facility in Houston which will provide a heightened level of operational support for fleet operations,” says Russ Walker, Senior Manager, Supply Chain for Pacific Drilling. ”The facility gives us the opportunity to offset new procurement costs, reduce our internal supply chain, and optimize logistics costs. Additionally, this will lay the foundation for future supply chain optimization within the company.”
This long-term deal is a first for the two companies in the U.S., but GAC has also provided logistics support for Pacific Drilling in Cape Town, South Africa.
Claus Schensema, Managing Director of GAC North America – Logistics, says the partnership is a testament to the Group’s sustainability in challenging market conditions: “The centralized warehouse, which has now become an integral part of GAC’s platform in Houston, has demonstrated a strong partnership that has been forged in a very depressed market. GAC and Pacific Drilling are working in tandem to exploit market opportunities at a moment’s notice, and taking advantage of the warehouse’s FTZ status presents ample opportunity for growth.”