What Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC does

Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC (HES) is a privately held engineering consulting firm founded in 2011 in Houston, Texas, providing specialized engineering services for the analysis, assessment, and life extension of coke drums — large pressure vessels used in oil refining delayed coker units. The firm is the only company in the world founded specifically to serve this equipment niche and serves oil refineries, upgraders, and chemical plants globally. Its service portfolio includes bulging assessment, cracking assessment, skirt analysis and retrofitting, bulge repair planning, remaining-life evaluation, fitness-for-service assessment per API-579/ASME-FFS standards, finite element analysis (FEA), structural dynamics analysis, research and testing, training seminars, and expert witnessing. Since the 2023 merger with sister company Ameriscan LLC (founded 2018), HES has additionally offered acoustic emission testing, 3D laser scanning, and remote visual inspection under one roof, creating a full-stack engineering-and-testing platform for coke drum integrity.

The firm's technical differentiation rests on a portfolio of US patents covering bulge-resistant drum designs, non-bolted skirt restraints, skirt anchor blocks, tongue-and-groove skirts, linked skirts, and a coke drum bottom deheading device with integral feed nozzle (US 10,913,899; US 9,884,996 B2; US 9,643,145; US 8,905,260; US 8,440,057). HES licenses its patented bulge-resistant design to OEMs including Sumitomo Heavy Industries of Japan. Leadership is anchored by President Dr. Mahmod Samman, P.E. (Fellow of ASME, Fulbright Scholar, member of API FFS Standard Committee and API 934G/934J Workgroups), supported by project and subject-matter experts in acoustic emission and non-destructive testing with ASNT Level III credentials.

HES operates as a project-based professional services firm with four revenue streams: engineering consulting, testing services (post-Ameriscan merger), research/training/expert witnessing, and patent licensing. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led direct engagement with refineries and chemical plants, supplemented by content marketing through technical publications, industry conferences (RefComm, API Summit, PVP, IPEIA, Coking), and the company-organized Coke Drum Forum. The company reports that more than 95% of its business since inception has come from repeat clients, reflecting strong retention in a niche where deep familiarity with specific unit histories is operationally critical.

Name

Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC

Legal name

Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC

Website

https://hesengineers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Houston Engineering Solutions is a privately held Houston-based engineering consulting firm founded in 2011 that provides specialized analysis, fitness-for-service assessment, testing, and life-extension services for coke drums in oil refineries, upgraders, and chemical plants worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding, Fabrication & Field Machining Services (On-site) (IMAIACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refinery Process Technology Licensing & Engineering (Process Design, Revamps) (EUALAGAM), Inspection, Integrity & Testing Services (NDT, Well Integrity, Corrosion, QA/QC) (EUALABAO)

Keywords

• Coke drum engineering
• Fitness-for-service assessment
• Acoustic emission testing
• Finite element analysis
• Pressure vessel inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Specialized engineering analysis, assessment, and consulting services for coke drums including bulging assessment, cracking assessment, remaining life evaluation, and fitness-for-service assessments
2. Testing Services: Acoustic emission testing and laser scanning services for coke drum inspection, offered after 2023 merger with Ameriscan LLC
3. Research and Expert Witness: Research services, training, expert witnessing, and third party reviews
4. Patent Licensing: Licensing of patented coke drum designs and technologies to manufacturers such as Sumitomo Heavy Industries

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Houston Engineering Solutions provides specialized engineering consulting, analysis, and testing services for coke drums and pressure vessels used in oil refineries, upgraders, and chemical plants. Core offerings include coke drum bulging and cracking assessment, fitness-for-service evaluations per API-579/ASME-FFS, finite element analysis, structural dynamics analysis, acoustic emission testing, laser scanning, remote visual inspection, training, expert witnessing, and patent-licensed design improvements.

Product overview

Houston Engineering Solutions is a specialized engineering consulting firm offering a unified suite of coke drum engineering and testing services. The company provides analysis, assessment, and life extension services for coke drums through products including bulging assessment, cracking assessment, skirt analysis and retrofitting, and remaining life evaluation. Following the 2023 merger with Ameriscan LLC, the company expanded to offer a complete set of engineering and testing services including acoustic emission testing, laser scanning, and remote visual inspection. Additional services include finite element analysis, fitness-for-service assessment, structural dynamics analysis, research and testing, training, and expert witnessing. The company serves refineries and chemical plants worldwide with patented design improvements and proprietary assessment and repair techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coke Drum Engineering Services Specialized engineering services for the analysis, assessment, and life extension of coke drums in oil refineries and upgraders, covering bulging assessment, cracking assessment, bulge repair planning, skirt analysis and retrofitting, and remaining life evaluation.
• Acoustic Emission Testing Non-destructive testing service for coke drums and pressure vessels, including mechanical integrity evaluation, pre-service proof testing, in-service monitoring, and leak detection.
• Laser Scanning

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% repeat client rate since company inception in 2011
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sumitomo Heavy IndustriescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 20 October 2020HES signed an agreement with Sumitomo Heavy Industries of Japan providing a license to fabricate HES' patented bulge-resistant coke drum design. The agreement enables utilization of the new design intended to reduce the likelihood of developing the classic seam bulging observed in large refinery vessels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Worley: Global engineering services provider focused on energy, chemicals, and resources. It performs refinery modifications, integrity engineering, and asset management for the same refining clients as HES, but as a broad engineering incumbent rather than a coke drum specialist.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification firm with extensive oil & gas and refining asset integrity services. Overlaps with HES's integrity-assessment work but across many industries and disciplines.
• Intertek: Global TIC and assurance provider with significant oil & gas inspection and asset integrity services. It serves the same refinery customer base as HES but as a broad portfolio incumbent rather than a coke drum specialist.
• Fluor Corporation: Large EPC and engineering services firm serving refining, chemicals, and energy clients. Comparable as an engineering services peer for refinery customers, though HES operates at a far more specialized, smaller scale.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC incumbent offering inspection, testing, and certification services across oil & gas, refining, and industrial assets. It overlaps with HES through its industrial asset integrity and pressure equipment inspection offerings, though across a far broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Applus+ (Applus RTD): Applus RTD is a global NDT/inspection services provider serving oil & gas and refining clients. It overlaps with HES's coke drum testing services (AE, laser scanning, visual inspection) and competes for refinery mechanical-integrity work.
• Mistras Group: Mistras is a global leader in non-destructive testing, including acoustic emission testing, for industrial facilities including refineries and pressure vessels. It is a direct peer to HES in the AE/NDT testing services for coke drums and pressure equipment, though at vastly larger scale.
• Acuren: Acuren is a North American NDT and inspection specialist serving refineries, chemical plants, and power generation. It is comparable to HES in the integrity-assessment/NDT work performed for refinery pressure equipment.
• Structural Integrity Associates (SI): SI provides fitness-for-service, fracture mechanics, and remaining-life assessments for pressure equipment and piping in power and refining — directly overlapping HES's API-579/ASME-FFS assessment and remaining-life evaluation offerings.
• TEAM Industrial Services (now TEAM Group): TEAM provides industrial inspection, NDT, and field services to refineries and chemical plants. It is comparable as an industrial inspection/NDT peer serving the same refining customer base as HES.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-engineering-solutions-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC