Kobelco expands presence in Brazil

Kobe Steel, Ltd. announces that its subsidiary company, Kobelco Machinery do Brasil Servicos Empresariais Ltda., has begun full-scale marketing of nonstandard compressors. Based in Sao Paulo, Kobelco Machinery do Brasil (KMB) is Kobe Steel's first location established in Brazil.

In recent years, Brazil has been vigorously pursuing marine resource development. High demand for gasoline, diesel, and other fuels has led to the active construction of oil refining and petrochemical plants. As a result, demand for nonstandard compressors, which are used to compress and transport gases in oil and gas processing facilities, has been increasing.

Kobe Steel, also known as Kobelco, is one of the few comprehensive compressor manufacturers in the world that can supply centrifugal, reciprocating, and screw compressors. Kobe Steel has a fifty-percent share of the world market for nonstandard screw compressors and has supplied nonstandard compressors throughout the world for use in oil refining, petrochemical, natural gas, and other large-scale facilities.

Kobe Steel's Machinery Business also supplies a wide range of products such as small and medium-size standard compressors for plant utilities and will consider adding these and other machinery products to the menu of the new marketing company in the future.

In Brazil, Kobe Steel has a high supply record for screw compressors used on FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) vessels. These ship-like facilities process oil and gas and store them onboard, after which they are transferred to tankers. Kobe Steel has also supplied numerous centrifugal and reciprocating compressors in South America, increasing the need for after-sales services in the region.