During his participation in the NISTM 2025 event, Joseph Shaw, business development manager at Amerapex, shared a comprehensive overview of the company's current capabilities and challenges. With more than two decades of experience in the sector, the company has established itself as a global provider of industrial, environmental and engineering services, focused on maximizing its clients' operational efficiency without losing sight of regulatory compliance.
Founded in 2003 as a seismic services company in Saudi Arabia, Amerapex has evolved into a multidisciplinary organization with operations in 18 countries. From its headquarters in Houston, Texas, the company has diversified its offering with a comprehensive approach, becoming a major player in industrial asset services, including inspection, cleaning, coating and remediation.
This expansion has not only been geographic; the company has invested in technology, engineering and human capital to position itself as a strategic ally in sectors where technical precision and environmental compliance are basic conditions.
One of the pillars of Amerapex is its comprehensive approach to storage tank management. Beyond inspection, they offer services that range from internal cleaning to the installation of new coatings and abatement of hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead.
This full-service strategy allows customers to operate with fewer disruptions and greater assurances of regulatory compliance. Joseph Shaw noted that the company can handle the entire life cycle of a tank.
"If the tank has asbestos insulation, we remove it, if it has spills, we do soil remediation, if it needs new coating, we install it. All within the same project.
Shaw clarified.
One of Amerapex's most notable advances is its Jensen Process, a proprietary technology for the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. Unlike the traditional "dig & haul" method that involves extracting contaminated soil and taking it to final disposal, Amerapex uses a system that treats the soil on site and allows it to be reintroduced at the same point of origin.
This approach reduces operating costs and speeds up environmental restoration processes. As an example, Shaw mentioned operations in Kuwait, where the company has treated contaminated soils resulting from oil fires set during the Gulf War. With a capacity of 300 tons per hour, the process removes oils, kerosenes and other contaminants without altering the properties of the treated soil.
Environmental regulations are a factor that has shaped Amerapex's operations in recent years, and the company has developed specific protocols to comply with regulations such as those imposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), among other international agencies.
Shaw shared that, for example, 25 years ago there was no need to use a thermal oxidizer in a tank with benzene residue, today, not only is such a system required, but emissions below reportable limits must be guaranteed. Amerapex manages this compliance and provides measurable evidence that emissions are below allowable thresholds.
This technical capability enables its clients to reduce the volume of waste reported in their environmental reports, which has both a positive operational and legal impact.
One of the most important challenges for Amerapex today is the availability of qualified personnel, ranging from engineers to operators specialized in industrial cleaning. The company has opted for a mixed strategy that combines the hiring of skilled talent with internal training programs, thus ensuring a uniform standard of quality in its global operations.
"We always need more qualified personnel. We can either look for them in the market or train them ourselves. We do both."
Shaw explained.
This commitment to talent development is part of the company's culture, which values continuing education and professional development within its teams.
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Source: Inspenet.
