Giancarlo Di Berardino, Tenaris managing director for South East Asia and Oceania. Tenaris
Born in Venezuela, Giancarlo Di Berardino started his career with the Techint Group in 1999, which includes Tenaris, which he later joined in 2008 in the commercial department in Venezuela. He later moved to Ecuador where he was in charge of commercial operations for Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela for five years, later becoming responsible for the coupling shop in Colombia. Over the following years, Di Berardino took on more challenging roles some 6,000 miles across the Atlantic to Nigeria, leading commercial operations in the country, and then transferring to Indonesia, where he currently serves as managing director for Southeast Asia and Oceania.This region, according to Di Beradino, is geographically complex encompassing 11 countries with oil and gas activity. “It’s also extremely diverse; different languages, different religions, and even different kinds of writing coexist in one same country.” In view of some of Tenaris’s most recent projects in the Philippines and Indonesia, Di Berardino, based in Jakarta, shares insights about Tenaris’s extensive operations in the region.
How is Tenaris’s position in this market and how is it serving customers in the region?
Our extensive positioning in Southeast Asia and Oceania is key for Tenaris and its global leadership, with a presence in every continent. Tenaris has been in the region since the 1990s when we opened our first commercial offices in Singapore. Today, we have an important deployment of over 500 employees spread across three commercial offices in Jakarta, Perth and Singapore, pipe service yards Darwin, Dampier and Sorong, and industrial operations in Batam and Cilegon. In Indonesia, we have a domestic market that we serve through our mill in Cilegon, where we do the heat treatment, inspection and finishing of pipes. Additionally, we have a threading facility in Batam, with a strong position in accessory production for markets in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and the Middle East. Oceania is a high-end market where we are concentrated in West Australia offshore operations, and also have an important presence in Papua New Guinea onshore. There are other Southeast Asian countries, which mostly represent pop-up market opportunities. We are also present in geothermal projects in Philippines, and also in offshore gas projects in Malaysia, among others.
Regarding the energy transition, how is Tenaris advancing in the region?
This is amongst the most active regions when it comes to the energy transition, and it has historical credentials for its geothermal energy. Indonesia and the Philippines are the largest producers only after the US. The potential of geothermal energy is huge, and the region has been leveraging this resource for several years now. Australia is one of the historical leaders in developing carbon capture and storage (CCS) operational capacity, and with an advanced regulation on the matter. So, we have a lot of potential to keep growing.
What can you say about Tenaris’s differentiating factor when approaching customers in the SEA&O region?
Activity is increasing in the region in all segments, from onshore oil to deep-water gas. There is also an important focus in exploration. By closely interacting with our customers, we can deeply understand their needs and offer tailor-made solutions supported by our wide portfolio of premium connections, logistic solutions, on-site technical support, field service and high local content, when required. Our customers are our partners, and our focus is to find alternatives to best serve their increasing demands.
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