Oil and gas recruitment business Air Energi Group has made its first acquisition since its private equity-supported buy-out last year.

Oil and gas recruitment business Air Energi Group has made its first acquisition since its private equity-supported buy-out last year.

The Manchester-based company bought Pacifica HR, a consultancy based in Papua New Guinea, which will now trade under the name of Air Energi Pacifica.

The acquisition, which enables Air Energi to support clients building liquefied natural gas facilities in the region, follows a cash injection of £10 million from UK investor Zeus Private Equity in August 2009 which supported a vendor-initiated management buy-out valuing the business at £30 million.

Air Energi has also opened a Japanese office and ‘already has contracts with several major oil companies and engineering firms’ in the country.

The group employs 120 staff and places around 1,000 contractors a year. Its clients include ExxonMobil and Shell.