Britannia AuctionsPrivate treaty sales in Aberdeen
Oilfield equipment is bought by people who already know what it is. A well test package, a set of drilling tools, a pressure test bay or the calibration and inspection equipment from a specialist in Altens suits service companies, rental fleets, contractors and dealers, in the UK and possibly further afield. The pool is narrow rather than general, so the sale turns on a proper technical description, the certification, photographs and time for a buyer to check it against their own requirements.
A private treaty sale allows for that and keeps the process quiet. We inspect the equipment, or have it inspected by someone who knows the sector, gather the certification history, describe it properly and approach buyers who deal in that type of kit, including any we know of who are looking. Every offer comes to you in writing with our view. Our fee is agreed in writing before marketing begins.
Equipment that follows the contract, not the company
If the sale follows the end of a contract or the thinning of a rental fleet rather than the closure of a business, it has a different shape. You are still trading, so you may not want clients to read about it, and the equipment may still sit on the books at a figure the finance director cares about. Both of those point towards a quiet sale rather than a public catalogue.
We deal with that quietly. Descriptions go to named buyers rather than a public listing, and inspections are by appointment at the yard. The sale can complete on a date that suits the end of the contract. Where the equipment is at a customer's site or on a vessel, we describe it from the records and photographs and complete when it is landed.
Fabrication yards and inspection houses at Tullos and Dyce add positioners, plate rolls, test chambers and laboratory equipment which engineering firms elsewhere in the UK can use.
Where the kit crosses into other sectors
Some of this equipment crosses over into other work. Offshore wind contractors, subsea cable firms, survey companies and the ports serving them use the same lifting frames, winches, ROV support equipment, generators and inspection kit, and some of them sit on the same estates. Where the specification crosses over we add those firms to the approach list, because it widens the field rather than tying it to one trade.
Removal is settled at the site visit rather than assumed from the address. We check how a vehicle gets in and turns at Altens or Tullos, the loading arrangements, the door dimensions, the floor and the route out to the Western Peripheral Route, and what we find goes in the description so a buyer knows before they offer. The harbour is an option where a buyer wants the equipment shipped. Buyers in Westhill, Portlethen, Inverurie and Stonehaven have a short run to an inspection.
Fish processing and food plant near the harbour is marketed to processors and dealers on its own list.
What these sales can include
- CNC machining centres and lathes
- Printing presses
- Injection moulding machines
- Packaging lines
- Large generators and switchgear
- Cranes and heavy lifting equipment
- Specialist process plant
- Laboratory and test equipment
- Complete production cells
- Late model plant and vehicles
- Marine and rail equipment
- High value catering and bakery lines
How we market the asset
We inspect the asset, or have it inspected, and prepare a description with photographs, specification, condition and any service history. We then approach buyers directly: dealers who trade in that type of machine, and end users the asset suits. The asset can be advertised openly or offered only to selected parties. How open we are depends on how much confidentiality you need.
Interested buyers inspect by appointment. We attend or arrange access, answer questions and take offers. You are kept informed at each stage but do not have to deal with the buyers yourself.
There is no fixed end date. A private treaty sale takes as long as it takes to find the right buyer at the right price, which is one of its advantages and one of its costs.
The private treaty sales page covers when private treaty beats auction, how offers are handled, fees and what you receive, what to prepare.
Questions about selling in Aberdeen
- Should oilfield equipment be marketed abroad or kept to UK buyers?
Both, where the equipment justifies it. UK service companies and rental fleets are the first call because they can inspect and collect without freight. Export interest is possible for used drilling and well service equipment, through the dealers who supply other producing regions, and current certification matters to that group. We approach both at once and let the offers decide. An export sale usually takes longer to complete, and the plan allows for that.
- Is there a private treaty buyer for a fish processing line?
Possibly, though the pool is narrower than for oilfield kit. Filleting, grading, freezing and packing lines can suit other processors around the coast and the dealers who refurbish food plant, and export interest is possible. Expect questions on the hygiene records, the service history, the throughput and the age of the refrigeration plant. Where production allows we market the line while it is still installed, because a line that can be shown running is easier to describe and to price.
More questions about private treaty
Related services
Guides
- Auction or private treaty: which route to choose
Auction gives you a fixed date and an open market. Private treaty gives you a negotiated price and privacy. This guide sets out when each route suits, what you give up with each, and why many sales use both.
- What happens to unsold lots
Not every lot sells, but the site still has to be cleared. This guide covers why lots go unsold, private treaty after the sale, lowering or removing the reserve, a later sale, scrap and WEEE recycling, and what disposal costs.