Siemens AG, which last year agreed to buy Houston oilfield manufacturer Dresser-Rand Group Inc., has opened an oil and gas headquarters in the U.S. energy capital.

Last September the German manufacturer agreed to pay $7.6 billion to buy Dresser as part of a plan to expand its North American oil and gas business (see Daily GPI, Sept. 22, 2014). The transaction also gave Siemens more access to Houston oil and gas decision-makers, CEO Joe Kaeser said at the time.

Houston is to serve as headquarters for the newly formed Oil & Gas and Marine business unit. The unit, formed last October, supports electrification, automation and water treatment solutions.

Managing board member Lisa Davis, who leads the oil and gas and power generation businesses, said the Houston location was ” critical for Siemens’ long-term growth as it brings us closer to upstream, midstream and downstream customers. Siemens’ expertise in automation, electrical systems, data analytics, and service combined with our existing portfolio, including Rolls-Royce industrial aero-derivative gas turbines, and our agreement to acquire Houston-based Dresser-Rand, fortifies our position as the most complete, end-to-end rotating equipment and process automation provider in the market today.”

Nearly 2,000 Siemens employees now work in Houston. Dresser also has about 800 Houston employees. Siemens’ among other things, provided Houston’s first light rail system. Its oil and gas business in Houston already provides field service products, maintenance services for fossil-based energy and wind power, energy management, and building technologies business units.

The global oil and gas division is weighted to natural gas, with offerings for production and processing equipment for the onshore. It also offers compression and pumping solutions, and liquefied natural gas equipment, among other things.