About us

Contributing tailored handling, control, monitoring and instrumentation solutions to the dynamic oil and gas sector.

1  Forres Small

EFC is a global control, monitoring, instrumentation & handling company serving the oil and gas industry since 1988. Headquartered in Aberdeen, Europe’s oil capital, EFC has achieved significant global growth.

In today’s environment of ever-demanding certification requirements and wealth of global industry standards it is our vision is to deliver expert solutions for compliant controls whether this be API, NORSOK or CE. 

Established in 1988, Electro-Flow Controls underwent a management buy-in December 2009, at this time Subsea Solutions was identified as a key development area for the company and ‘Celeris’, the mechanical handling company founded by Bob Will, was integrated to expand EFC capability. EFC is committed to designing, manufacturing, installing and commissioning a range of tailor made monitoring, control and mechanical handling systems, providing cost-effective solutions that are easily integrated and supported by our expert design and engineering specialists.

QHSE at EFC is not only a consideration but a culture. We are an associate member of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), as well as holding current ISO 9001 certification for our three manufacturing sites, ATEX Quality Assurance Notification, IECEx QAR.

Our future is powered by innovation; our footprint formed by providing effective and crucial solutions which will help you maintain safe drilling operations.

Our Experience

Proud to be making a difference for more than 30 years.

Bop Controls1

Since inception in 1988, EFC has established a proven track record for providing comprehensive expertise in the design and production of handling, control, monitoring and instrumentation solutions for the oil and gas industry. With a growing number of employees and continual improvement applied to develop operations and new markets, our depth of experience helps to shape our future.

We alway work to create reliable, innovative systems which meet our customers' bespoke needs and to this day, we remain client centric. From our first order of a pit volume totalizer system to current cutting-edge touch screen E-BOP control panels and Managed Pressure Drilling control systems, we strive to ensure that each and every order meets the highest standards and work to maintain the EFC logo as a symbol of excellence, reserved for the best instrumentation, handling, monitoring and controls in the industry.

We understand that our systems can be the fine line between efficiency and lost time and as such, every system we design and build has the experience, knowledge and expertise of our engineering specialists fully built in.

Timeline

The history of EFC

timeline
  • Pre-History 1986-88: Ferranti Offshore Systems Ltd signed up as UK/ European agents of Electro-Flow Controls Inc, promoting its range of drilling instrumentation. Ted Littlechild was hired by Ferranti to act as agent.
  • March 1988: Start-up of Electro-Flow Controls Ltd to continue promoting EFC Inc products.
  • 1st Premises: South College Street, Aberdeen, Scotland.
  • Mid 1988: First order to Dan Smedvig land rig in south of England - a Pit Volume Totalizer system.
  • Spring 1989: First Well Control system: HPHT package designed and supplied, with subsea BOP temperature probe & winch. Deployed on Sedco's Drillstar (became Pride Venezuela, now ENSCO 5005) for the first HPHT Shell contract post Ocean Odyssey blowout and Dept. of Energy moratorium on high pressure drilling.
  • First wrap-around temperature sensors for C & K Manifold and for subsea choke lines.
  • 1990: all EFC Inc drawings & IP bought by EFC Ltd.
  • 2nd Premises: Move to Grampian Enterprise Centre in Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland.
  • 1991-1993: Jobs for Kuybysheftneft, Samara, Russia: at first drilling instrumentation. Then several water-oil separation control systems.
  • 1992: First job with Diamond Offshore, still an existing client.
  • 1992: First set of Finescale Pressure Gauges delivered. Shallow Gas detection System, product development sponsored by Premier Oil & Scottish Enterprise.
  • 1993: First Liquid Seal Monitor delivered.
  • 3rd Premises 1993-2011: Move to Souterhead Road, Altens, Aberdeen, Scotland , 2 modules.
  • Joint Venture with Hydro-Pneumatic Ltd to promote valves and actuators manufactured by Hydro-Pneumatic running until 1995.
  • 1994: First M25 analogue gauge manufactured by EFC, first CCTV systems supplied.
  • Pipehandling control system development sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, in venture with MOS.
  • 1996: First EFC Drill Cabin to Louisiana semi-submersible for Brazil.
  • 1997: EFC Americas Inc founded.
  • 1998: First ISO 9000 Accreditation.
  • 1998 Oil Price: $9/barrel, record low.
  • 1999/2000: Development and certification of EFC's stainless steel, EExd Camera Housings EFC 556 & EFC558 Pan/tilts
  • 2000: Hazardous Area certification of EFC M25 gauges.
  • First Middle East orders.
  • 2005: First sale to Australia.
  • 2008 Oil Price: $147/barrel, a record high.
  • Dec 2009: Management buy-in and change of ownership, Bob Will leads as Chief Executive Officer.
  • 2010: Electro-Flow Controls Ltd rebrands as EFC Group, highlighting the expansion from original and cores Instrumentation & Control (I & C) Systems to encompass Subsea Solutions and Mechanical Handling divisions too.
  • 2010: EFC establishes first contract for Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) Controls.
  • 2011 4th Premises: EFC Headquarters move to Hareness Road, Aberdeen Scotland.
  • 2012: EFC Group takes decision to open office and manufacturing facility in Forres via Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) with aim of expanding resource base of experienced personnel and meeting order book demands.
  • 2013: Ted Littlechild co-founder of EFC Group retires having seen the business reach 130 employees and continued sustainable growth looking set to continue.
  • 2013: EFC celebrates 25 years of niche Well Control expertise.
  • 2013: EFC secures its first orders direct to Newbuild Drilling Rig sector, building upon existing rig upgrades and service company client base highlighting market expansion and secure growth being developed.
  • 2014: Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP opens EFC Forres Flagship manufacturing facility. This 10,000ft2 facility enables multiple builds of BOP & MPD Hydraulic Power Units in parallel along with state of the art IT links to facilitate remote client FAT witness.
  • 2014: EFC Headquarters expands manufacturing facility with new Electrical workshop, Hydraulic workshop and Engineering office facilities at Hareness Road location.