The Turnaround Revolution

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Canoco Energy Services drives the industry to new ways of thinking and doing

In just a few short years, Canoco Energy Services has transformed the landscape of oil and gas services Zan innovative approach and remarkable growth trajectory. Founded in 2019 by Chris Engel, not only has this innovative new player found its feet, it is forging a revolutionary path in the sector through collaboration, positive relationships, and an uncompromising work ethic.

Engel leveraged his decade’s worth of expertise as both a welder and a turnaround specialist to launch the business. “I took all good and bad to start Canoco with a new age outlook and a different way of doing business,” he said. Canadian National Resources awarded the company’s first contract doing planning work for a large-scale turnaround, which led the firm into performing specialty and mechanical services such as welding, pipefitting, labor, and most mechanical services.

The excellence-driven upstart has been quietly building their reputation and making significant strides through hard work and dedication. “One thing that distinguishes Canoco from others in our field is our young leadership team and our commitment to doing things differently,” he stressed. “We are highly attuned to changing market dynamics, emerging technologies, and evolving consumer needs. Our team approaches business with an entrepreneurial spirit, unafraid to take risks, experiment, and pivot as needed.”

Engel has brought a new way of thinking to business and shutdowns, focusing on the importance of a strong team, and prioritizing both cost and execution. He strives to exemplify “What Good Looks Like” to his clients, leaving them in a better position than when he arrived, and values integrity, workmanship, and building trusting relationships.

The company’s Spruce Grove, Alberta, headquarters features a 7,000-sq. ft. shop dedicated to field services and hose testing. In addition, they have an office in Fort Saint John, B.C., where they’ve taken on a number of small projects and are now looking to expand further in the northern part of the province as they take on large-scale projects.

“We’ve just purchased a new location in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta,” Engel said. The new location will be Canoco’s flagship fabrication facility. “Having 12 offices, 5 acres of land, and 18,000 sq. ft. of shop space along with a 25-ton overhead crane and a pair of 5-ton overhead cranes will be a game-changer in efficiency for our fabrication services.”

Specializing in turnarounds, shutdowns, planning and estimation, new construction, and infrastructure safety, Canoco has a broad list of field services and value adds, including: planning mechanical services, estimating and readiness reviews for turnarounds and shutdowns, integrity digs, pipeline work, heavy hauling, hose testing, tube planning, tool rentals, custom-fabricated tool cribs, and welding and fabricating carbon and exotic metals.

For five years, the company has boasted an impressive 60% year-over-year growth rate. “While the rest of the industry was struggling – especially during Covid – we were able to keep our relationship strong with our clients and continue to grow in tough times.”

In his quest to drive the company to new heights, in 2021 Engel welcomed Chris Sierra and Saurabh Sethi to the Canoco ownership team. “Bringing them has brought great growth to the company,” he enthused. “Chris, who is also our VP of Operations, has given me more time to build our culture and focus on growing Canoco from the inside out. Saurabh brings vast knowledge to the company on our quality division and has also landed our first overseas contract in Mongolia.”

As it happens, that agreement was with Moncon LLC, the largest construction management services group in the country, which is renowned for its large deposits of copper, gold, silver, and other ores.

That contract’s success motivated Canoco to launch CCS International, its Mongolia division. “As of right now, Saurabh is overseeing a 19-month contract with Moncon, and the future is looking bright for us to grow and expand in a new country,” Engel said.

Canoco’s mission is to provide optimal value to their clients through a culture of safety and integrity, and to deliver best-in-class results consistently and predictively. A unique joint safety system is just one example of how they are fulfilling that mandate.

The company’s trademarked Bolted Joint Integrity Management (BJIM) program enables workers to stay in compliance with Canoco’s joint management policies and procedures to guarantee the company’s success of zero leaks on all mechanical joint connections. The in-house BJIM training course is mandatory for all Canoco personnel and is a significant market differentiator.

One of the most important and refreshing aspects of the way Canoco does business is the strong culture they’ve built around their people. “We recognize that our employees are a vital asset to our success,” Engel noted. “We cultivate an environment that empowers, engages, and supports them. Our leadership team is committed to building a culture of growth, both for the business and for our employees.”