Oil & Gas 3D Printing Firm RusselSmith Brings SPEE3D to West Africa

SPEE3D, the Australian cold spray firm dubbed by Matt Kremenetsky as the “most American 3D printing company,” has announced a strategic partnership with Nigerian energy solutions firm, RusselSmith. The driving force behind the deal is RusselSmith’s push to bring SPEE3D’s cold spray additive manufacturing (AM) solution to West Africa. The company will become a domestic reseller servicing the West African oil and gas and defense industries. As a part of this partnership, RusselSmith will now own and operate SPEE3D’s WarpSPEE3D printer, leaving the two companies in a position to fill an important role in the Nigerian (and broader West African) manufacturing supply chain.

“SPEE3D is committed to the growth and development of additive manufacturing globally, and we’re thrilled to bring our cold spray additive manufacturing solution to West Africa,” said Byron Kennedy, CEO of SPEE3D. “Partnering with RusselSmith is a huge win for us – they are a respected leader bringing the latest additive manufacturing technologies to the region and helping solve major supply chain issues for the oil and gas and defense and other commercial industries. Together, we will not only bring the WarpSPEE3D printer to the region, but their support as a value-added reseller will ensure customers will have the sales, support, and training they need for all of our technology.”

“In response to prevailing challenges in the supply chain of legacy parts in Nigeria and across the continent, RusselSmith has set out to promote the adoption of Additive Manufacturing technology in Africa to produce vital spare parts for the energy sector as well as other industries. We are building our capacity by developing a robust additive manufacturing ecosystem through deliberate investments and strategic partnerships with world class additive manufacturing companies,” said Kayode Adeleke, CEO of RusselSmith. “Our partnership with SPEE3D is a game changer for us – they are the leader in advanced metal additive manufacturing technology using their patented cold spray technology. This partnership enables us to rapidly manufacture high quality parts on demand, locally and sustainably, leveraging the innovative cold spray technology to improve the operational uptime of our customers. Our focus at RusselSmith is to be Africa’s leading provider of advanced digital and deployable additive manufacturing solutions for enhancing operational efficiency on the continent, and we aim to achieve that ‘one part at a time.’ ”

The largest oil producer in Africa and the 13th largest globally, Nigeria is obviously a prime location for oil and gas operations. In turn, RusselSmith is taking advantage of AM’s ability to produce spare parts on demand in the country. Previously, the company became a supplier of polymer parts for oil and gas through a partnership with Roboze. This was followed by cooperation with 3YOURMIND to add software for spare part 3D printing to the mix. Naturally, metal 3D printing is necessary to complement the work the company is doing with Roboze. In a way, RusselSmith could become the Immensa of West Africa, which could mean that it will be taking calls from DNV and Pelagus.

This move comes on the heels of SPEE3D making waves by opening its first U.S.-based facility and the prominent role it’s taken in supplying printers to Ukraine. With the Department of Defense recognizing the usefulness of SPEE3D’s cold spray printer back in 2023, the company has been poised to further its global ambitions for quite some time. With contracts for the DoD, the British and Ukrainian armies, as well as the Australian Navy, under its belt, one must wonder what moves this new partnership will allow it to take in the West African defense industry.

The stability of the region has been called into question by Western observers due to the growing power of military juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This trio of nations have formed a new economic alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), that has declared its intention to leave the established the Economic Community of West African States. The AES have indicated a desire to cooperate militarily against the region’s insurgencies, potentially turning to Russia as a partner for equipment and military training. If Russia’s military presence kicks off a resource and spending spree by Western nations looking to counter its presence in Africa, SPEE3D could be well-poised to become a major player in West Africa’s defense industry.