Petroleum Equipment International

Petroleum Equipment International's, or PEI, history begins in 1949 when A.G. Chandler, then with the Reed Roller Bit Company, made his first international trip.  After the end of WWII, the use of petroleum throughout the world increased significantly.  This increased demand also fueled the demand for personnel and material to search for and successfully extract these hydrocarbons.  The United States of America had been left unscathed, relative to Europe and other nations in the world, by the war's destruction of manufacturing facilities.  AG's trip confirmed there was a demand for US supplied drilling and production equipment in the international market place.  Travel just after the end of the war was rigorous; hotels were nonexistent in many of the local areas, particularly in the Middle and Far East.  In 1949 AG moved to London from Houston and traveled the world setting up distributors for the materials he was selling.

In 1956, AG and Ishan Berent established Petroleum and Mining Equipment SA, called Petromine, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  Mr. Berent was the Oil Minister for Turkey prior to the establishment of Petromine. Over the next few years Petromine became the agent for Otis Engineering, Smith Oil Tools, Drilco, Servco, Norman Hender, Lane and Bowler Screens, which is now Houston Well Screen and Brinadd.

The 1970s saw expansion into Egypt with the opening of an office in Cairo in association with a local partner.  Establishing Prodrill provided an opportunity to participate in sales, not only into Egypt, but North Africa as well.  In 1979 Jim Chandler left Shell Oil and Matthew Cutts left Brinadd and both joined Petromine.  The late 1970s and early 1980s saw tremendous growth in the international market.

As the international and domestic American demand for drilling and production equipment grew, the need for an office in America became apparent.  In 1981 Jack Chandler left Exxon USA and established PEI in Houston, with Jack Enen as the first president.  Mr. Enen had a long and distinguished career with Gulf Oil's procurement offices in Europe.  1984 saw the establishment of a contractual agreement between RobRay Offshore Drilling in Singapore and PEI, whereby PEI hired the RobRay employees in Houston and entered into a purchasing agreement with RobRay to act as their sole supplier of equipment coming from America.  This agreement remained in effect until 2010 when new owners took control.  In 1988 PEI became a supplier to Aramco Services in Houston and continues to provide service to Aramco Services today.

1991 saw the addition of Greening Donald as a client when PEI signed an exclusive distribution agreement to sell their wireline products worldwide. Today PEI continues to represent the new owner, Central Wire,  in certain key international markets.  In 1992 PEI and Greening Donald assisted Baker Sand Control in the development of the Baker Excluder well screen.  Greening Donald and PEI furnished material for the cage and the mesh used in the Excluder as manufactured in Baker's Lafayette, LA plant until that operation was discontinued.

In 2003 PEI entered an agreement with Bestolife to represent their products in certain international markets.

There are now three generations involved in the company.  The world has changed so very much from 1956 when Petromine was established.  Once remote areas have become centers of commerce and significant tourism. Electronic communication has brought the world closer together and has made commerce much easier.  What has not changed is PEI's ability to operate, with over 50 years of experience, in the international market.  PEI has changed with the market and its strength is not only its people but its recognition that it must continue to change to meet the current requirements its customers and of the marketplace.