In 2013, just months after its foundation, ABZ Group secured a key international contract with Atlantica Tender Drilling and BassDrill Brasil. The challenge: to source and deploy qualified Brazilian professionals to support the commissioning of a deep-water tender drilling unit at a shipyard in China — and later, to assemble the full offshore crew as the rig began operations in Brazil for Petrobras.
At the time, ABZ operated with a lean in-house team. Despite the complexity of the task — which involved international visa processing, crew mobilisation, onboarding, and coordination with stakeholders in both Brazil and China — the active leadership of founders Gordon Walker and Captain William Mair ensured that every stage was handled with precision and care.
ABZ’s scope extended beyond workforce deployment. The company also supported the client in establishing a local office and delivered full administrative services to approximately 150 personnel, both offshore and onshore.
This project, which continued until May 2016, marked a defining moment in ABZ’s trajectory. It demonstrated the company’s capacity to manage complex, cross-border operations and established its reputation as a trusted partner in global workforce solutions for the energy sector.
