TÜV SÜD acquires US business RCI Consultants Inc. / Strategic expansion of portfolio of services for the oil and gas industries

Munich/Houston, Texas (ots) - TÜV SÜD announces the strategic
acquisition of RCI Consultants Inc., located in Houston, Texas, thus
expanding its suite of services for the oil and gas industries. RCI
Consultants specialise in consultancy services, assisting their
clients in development, construction, and installation of production
facilities as well as long-distance transportation pipelines utilized
for the oil and natural gas industries.

"We aim to further complement our suite of services for the oil
and gas industry in the coming years", says Karsten Xander, Member of
the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD AG. "The acquisition of RCI
Consultants is an important milestone on the route to reaching this
goal. It serves as a door-opener to the upstream market for the
exploration and production of oil and gas, and significantly expands
our portfolio of services in the midstream market for long-distance
transportation and refining." So far, TÜV SÜD's service offer has
focused primarily on companies in the downstream sector of the oil
and gas industry, which includes the refining of crude oil. In this
sector, the technical services group expanded its portfolio of
services, reinforcing its presence in the important US market as
early as in 2007 by acquiring US company PetroChem Inspection
Services.

"RCI Consultants ideally complements the existing suite of
services of our Chemical, Oil & Gas Business Unit", explains Ian
Nicol, President and CEO at TÜV SÜD America. "Thanks to its
expertise, the company also enjoys a stellar reputation in the
industry." The specialist service provider's suite of services covers
project consultancy and management, surveillance and inspection,
quality assurance and quality control, and services in the fields of
occupational health and safety and environmental management. RCI
Consultants and its 130 highly specialised and experienced employees
primarily service clients in the onshore and offshore segments of the
oil and gas industry, focusing on complex tasks such as offshore
structures, topside facilities, and subsea pipelines and equipment,
including significant involvement in deep-water field development.

"Our multi-disciplinary and experienced team works with our
clients to ensure professional and efficient management for every
single project", says Brant LeBlanc, CEO of RCI Consultants Inc.
"Integration into the TÜV SÜD Group now gives us the opportunity to
offer our clients additional services, such as non-destructive
testing or risk assessments, and to support them with a broader range
of expertise for the management of projects of any size or scope."
LeBlanc affirms that the acquisition further offers the company an
excellent starting point for the targeted expansion of its existing
activities to the onshore upstream and downstream markets, segments
which he believes offer considerable potential for growth, in areas
such as the ongoing and increasing development of the shale oil and
shale gas resources in North America.

Further information on TÜV SÜD's range of services for the oil and
gas industry is available on the Internet at
www.tuv-sud.com/chemical-oil-gas.

Note for editorial staff: The high-resolution photo of Karsten
Xander can be downloaded from the "Media photos" category at
www.tuv-sud.com/pressphotos.

TÜV SÜD is an international leading technical service organization
catering to the INDUSTRY, MOBILITY and CERTIFICATION Segment. The
experts and technology consultants are dedicated partners in their
clients' processes, offering comprehensive industry expertise
throughout the entire value chain. They focus their services on their
core competencies of consulting, testing, certification and training.
Almost 20,000 employees are committed to optimizing technology,
systems and know-how at over 800 locations in Europe, the Americas,
Asia Pacific and Africa. Further information is available at
www.tuv-sud.com.

Media Relations:
Dr Thomas Oberst
TÜV SÜD AG
Corporate Communications
Westendstraße 199, 80686 Munich
Tel. +49 (0) 89 / 57 91 - 23 72
Fax +49 (0) 89 / 57 91 - 22 69
E-mail: thomas.oberst@tuev-sued.de
Internet www.tuev-sued.de