Houston Research Company Releases Customer Satisfaction Survey Among Oilfield Equipment & Materials Suppliers

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) September 12, 2007 -- Houston-based EnergyPoint Research, Inc. recently released the results of its 2007 EPR Customer Satisfaction Survey for providers of oil and gas drilling/wellsite equipment & materials. The independent bi-annual survey reflects evaluations from more than 630 oilfield customers utilizing equipment and materials in the oil and gas industry.



Derrick Equipment, manufacturer of solids and waste control equipment for oil and gas drilling activities, ranked number one overall in total customer satisfaction with high marks for product performance. Smith International, a provider of drilling-related products and services, ranked second overall and first in the category of drill bits. Rounding out the top five in the survey's overall rankings are: Davis-Lynch, a manufacturer of downhole cementing equipment based in Pearland, Texas and the top-rated supplier in EnergyPoint Research's 2005 survey; Sumitomo Pipe and Tube of Tokyo, Japan, and Vallourec & Mannesmann of Boulogne, France, both manufacturers of tubular goods.

"High levels of customer satisfaction do not materialize out of thin air. They require a full-time commitment and a willingness to invest in the resources and processes that ensure customers consistently have positive experiences," said Doug Sheridan, founder of EnergyPoint Research. "The ability of this year's top-rated suppliers to register these high scores, particularly as bottlenecks and performance issues have hampered the entire industry over the last 12 to 18 months, says a lot about their determination to meet the needs of customers regardless of industry conditions."

According to Sheridan, the survey's findings are particularly relevant in light of the current oil patch environment. Quality issues and production and delivery delays have been prevalent and service has deteriorated at a time when access to equipment and materials has been a top concern, says Sheridan. "Customer frustrations have been on the rise with delivery commitments ranking as one of the top concerns the industry must address."

This increased interest in supplier performance has manifested itself in increased participation in EnergyPoint's survey. "The number of evaluators in this year's poll grew almost threefold from two years ago, the last time we conducted the survey," says Sheridan.

Suppliers rating toward the bottom of the list include National Oilwell Varco, Oil States International, Vetco Gray and FMC Energy Systems.

The independent survey, conducted from January through July 2007, is based on 2,319 evaluations by 636 respondents representing 176 exploration and production companies, drilling contractors, and upstream consultants worldwide. A total of 32 oilfield equipment and materials providers received the minimum number of evaluations to be rated in the survey. Suppliers were evaluated in the areas of total satisfaction, pricing, performance and reliability, engineering and design, availability and delivery, personnel, post-sale support and corporate capabilities.

About EnergyPoint Research, Inc.
EnergyPoint Research provides independent research regarding the oil and gas industry's satisfaction with the products and services it purchases and utilizes. Founded in 2003, the company offers oil and gas industry professionals and their employers opportunities to provide confidential feedback in important areas to oilfield product and service providers through objective and independent evaluation processes. For more information regarding EnergyPoint Research, visit its website at www.energypointresearch.com.

For More Information, Contact:
Doug Sheridan
EnergyPoint Research, Inc.
713-529-9450

Story Sources Available:
- Mitch Derrick, President, Derrick Equipment
- Mike Pearce, President, Smith Technologies (A Division of Smith International)
- Frank Cole, VP of Operations, Davis-Lynch
- Doug Sheridan, Managing Director, EnergyPoint Research

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