Finance for Oil and Gas Equipment

The petroleum industry is fiercely competitive. Whether you are working upstream, midstream or downstream, success depends on having the right equipment. Securing the right equipment can depend on having access to the right kind of finance.

Equipment technology has always been central to every phase of the oil and gas industry. Getting the right equipment is not simply essential for answering the challenging technical demands of the industry, having the right technical solutions may be essential for productivity at a time when margins are being tightly squeezed.

There is still scope for smaller specialist businesses serving the oil and gas sector, but whatever your area of business, you will share the same challenges as major corporations. Having the right equipment, with the correct rating and certification, will be essential to meet legislative demands and secure the contracts you need.

Each aspect of the industry will have its own particular equipment requirements, many of which provide scope for smaller businesses to provide service and support, as well as presenting a funding need for their operators.

Exploration and development is an expensive, high-risk business. This means that offshore and remote area exploration is generally only within reach of very large corporations or national governments - but onshore and deposits, and new developments such as fracking, can provide prospects which are in reach of independent operators. Equipment needs range from specialist survey and support vessels and all-terrain vehicles to sensitive seismic systems and instrumentation. Advanced IT and specialist software is now standard in the sector.

Production in the UK peaked in 1999, but there is still more to be found and extracted. However, there are two challenges facing the offshore oil and gas industry. The first is finding ways to safely and economically increase the recovery of existing fields and, second, to extract economically from smaller or more complex deposits. Hardware needs include wellheads turbines, tanks, pumps and pipelines, filtration compressor, and complete platforms, as well as subsea equipment.

Decommissioning is becoming increasingly important. Over the next few decades, we will see a growing number of redundant oil and gas installations taken out of service and fully decommissioned. Plugging and abandonment of wells, mobilization and demobilization of derrick barges and pipelines or power cables may all require specialist knowledge and equipment, while a strict legal framework of national, regional and international regulations governs how disused offshore facilities are decommissioned. Equipment needs range from standard industrial dismantling vehicles, cranes and heavy lifting gear and cutting equipment to specialised handling and receiving equipment designed around the needs for environmental protection. 

Downstream efficiency, reliability and process safety are paramount for today's refineries and petrochemical plants. Along with heavy plant and vessels, a huge range of chemical, mechanical, digital and service solutions are essential for refinery and petrochemical operations. Pumps, filtration and environmental provisions all require continuous investment. Maintaining and providing these key items and their associated control and monitoring systems can provide scope for external businesses supplying major corporations.

At Rangewell we can help you find solutions to your petrochemical equipment needs.

Your funding options

Virtually every piece of equipment in the oil and gas will be costly, having been built to high standards and often requiring certification. Fortunately, there is a range of funding options which can help you finance the equipment you need.

• Asset Finance
• Borrowing
• Commercial Mortgages

Asset Finance

Asset Finance is a blanket term for Hire Purchase and Leasing. These solutions can help you finance new assets to acquire virtually any type of tool, vehicle or equipment.

Hire Purchase – buying equipment for your business

Hire Purchase offers a straightforward way to spread the cost of equipping your operation. You will need to put down a deposit, typically between 5%-25% of the total price, and repay the remainder, together with the interest, over an agreed period of up to 60 months. You pay a fixed rate of interest and agreed monthly payments, making budgeting simple. 

You may also have the option to structure your payments to fit your projected cash flow. For example, you can secure lower monthly repayments by agreeing to pay a final lump sum, known as a balloon payment, at the end of the loan period. This will mean that your equipment has had sufficient time to generate the funds to pay for itself when your production is fully operational.

Hire Purchase can be a solution for durable equipment that can go on giving service for years to come. A compressor might be an example of an item a smaller business might buy with HP. 

Leasing – the equipment you need without capital investment

With leasing, equipment is owned by the finance company and hired it for the period of the agreement. The equipment remains their property, avoiding any need for capital expenditure from you. You may also be able to choose a lease which gives maintenance and repair back to the finance company.

Monthly payments and interest rates are fixed for the duration of the contract, and you can pay for your equipment from the income it generates each month.

When production equipment becomes obsolete or surplus to your needs, you can simply return it to the finance house at the end of the lease. This makes it simpler to adopt the latest technology - helping your business maintain a competitive edge.

Leasing may be the most appropriate solution for high-cost items that might present too large a cost for a small business or the payment method of choice for items such as delicate instruments which require skilled maintenance - and which may become obsolete.

Asset Refinance

If your business has been operating for any length of time, you probably have a sizable investment tied up in equipment. Asset Refinance can let you release that investment and re-use the funds elsewhere in your business.

It works by letting you sell your existing equipment - your assets - to a finance company who will provide you with a cash sum which you can use as you wish. You will then make monthly repayments to buy them back.

You can continue to use the equipment while you are repaying the funds you have raised on it. You can also use Asset Refinance to replace an existing funding agreement - allowing you to reduce monthly outgoings.

Find out more about Asset Refinance.

Pay less than with suppliers’ finance

Petrochemical equipment manufacturers and dealers will often offer HP arrangements. These can sound very attractive and can even include 0% options. While these can look worthwhile, at Rangewell we have found that there will almost always be hidden costs which will increase the amount you actually pay. You may be able to save money by paying cash and arranging finance with our help.

See how we can help you beat 0% finance deals.

Borrowing to buy

You may also be able to simply borrow funding for individual items of equipment. Lending can provide a cost-effective solution in some circumstances - and talking to a Rangewell expert will help you understand what they are.

There are two basic types of business loans, which can be used for any business purpose and can provide a simple way to funding for virtually any purpose.

Unsecured business loans can be suitable for costs up to around £25,000 and usually allow you up to 5 years to repay. Rates start at around 4.9%.

Secured loans are ‘secured’ because the lender will require security in case you cannot pay the loan back. This could be your home or your business premises. They can be used to borrow large sums, and payback can be arranged over 10 years or more. Because security reduces the risk for lenders, interest rates tend to be significantly lower than Unsecured lending. Current rates may be as low as 2% over base rate.

Using a Commercial Mortgage to raise funds

If you own business premises you may be able to use them to raise the funding. By taking out a Commercial Mortgage on the property, you can raise a large sum which you can use for any business purpose. Repayments can be over 20 years or more, and rates comparable with residential mortgages, making refinance with a commercial mortgage a particularly effective way to raise funds.

Mezzanine Funding - large-scale funding

To acquire a complete business - perhaps a competitor or supplier - or even a production and processing plant, you may need a scale of funding that many lenders will simply not be able to provide. So if your oil and gas sector business is ready for substantial growth funding may become a particular challenge.

Equity funding could be one way to provide the scale of funding required. There are no repayments to make because you are selling a share in your business. However, it will mean sharing all future profits with your investors and could mean losing control of your business. Mezzanine Finance can provide a solution. A lender will provide the funds you need, secured on the future of your business.

This means that they will offer a high level of funding, but you will need to repay their debt and interest charges - if you fail to repay, they will have the right to take an agreed proportion of equity interest in the company.

Find out more about how Mezzanine Finance can offer you a high level of funding.

How we help you capitalise your oil and gas business

At Rangewell, we work across the entire lending industry and our finance experts have personal experience of different business sectors. Our team knows the lenders who specialise in finance for businesses just like yours.

We put this knowledge to work for you, finding the most competitive deals for the equipment you need, from a single machine or vehicle to a complete facility. It lets us ensure that we find you the most appropriate financial solutions you need to capitalise your business.

Plus, as well as conventional finance products, we can help you find Alternative Funding using new loan providers and styles of funding. We know the lenders who can offer the most competitive rates for the sector. Whether you have a straightforward finance need or require a more complicated package known as Jigsaw Finance, made up of a combination of lending types, we have the answers you need.

Simply call us now to find out more.