LOGISTICS equipment company Kalmar has delivered 18 forklift trucks to Algerian drilling contractor Entreprise Nationale des Travaux aux Puits (ENTP).

Kalmar is to support ENTP with parts supply and provide operator training to staff.

The machines were delivered during the third quarter.

ENTP is the main drilling contractor in Algeria with a market share said to be close to 45%.

The company performs drilling and maintenance on both deep-water and hydrocarbon wells across Algeria.

ENTP is a subsidiary of Sonatrach, understood to be Algeria’s largest company by turnover and number of employees.

ADVERTISEMENT

The forklifts are deployed at the company’s site in Hassi Messaoud, Ouargla in the east of the country and have a lifting capacity of 14 tons.

Kalmar G-Generation forklifts are said to be ideal for demanding jobs such as handling heavy, bulky loads such as a section of pipe or sections of drilling equipment.

Kalmar mobile equipment sales manager Alejandro Martinez said they were “delighted that ENTP has chosen our next-generation forklifts to support their drilling operations in Hassi Messaoud”.

“They are the ideal choice for ensuring optimal performance in precisely the kinds of tough desert conditions that ENTP operates in, where extreme temperatures, sand, and dust are a constant challenge,” Mr Messaoud said.

“This deal also marks a further step forward in our strategy to focus on new industrial segments, building on the excellent market share we already enjoy in the cargo-handling sector in Algeria.”