Offshore accommodation specialists announce contract with BHP Billiton
Posted: 21 August 2006
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Ferguson Modular, the offshore accommodation specialists have announced a substantial hire contract with Australian operator BHP Billiton for the supply of a nine module accommodation complex on Halliburton’s Irish Sea Pioneer Jack-up rig.
The order for eight 10.3m 4 person sleeper cabins and a locker / changing room module is worth £850,000 to the Aberdeenshire based firm. The units, linked and stacked to form a multi-module complex will be capable of sleeping up to 32 persons.
Ferguson Modular has already attracted new business exceeding the £3.5 million mark for the first 6 trading months of 2006 including major orders for large POB solutions on Global Santa Fe’s Galaxy II jack-up rig and Transocean’s Sedco 709 semi submersible drilling rig.
The Modular division currently has a global fleet of 154 modules in many regions around the world including Norway, Holland, West Africa, North Africa, Singapore, the Middle Eastern Gulf, Russia and Australia. Recent heavy investment has also been announced with the manufacture of a further 25 new modules for the hire fleet and plans are well under way to reduce the manufacturing and delivery times of the units to help meet the demand of clients both locally and internationally.
Divisional Manager, Module Hire, Gary Wilson, explained “We are delighted to have secured this contract with BHP Billiton. The accommodation complex will provide their personnel, contractors and vendors with one of the most comfortable offshore living environments whilst major maintenance, upgrade and development work is carried out on the Liverpool Bay Field.
“BHP Billiton also wanted to be sure they could rely on delivery dates, and our reputation and track record played a major part in their decision making. With complete control over the manufacturing process here at our Inverurie facility we are able to guarantee delivery times and a quality product. The complex was delivered and commissioned within its 13 week delivery schedule.
Peter Dow, Marine and Logistics Manager, BHP Billiton commented “We were extremely impressed with the design of the modules. There are a lot of clever elements which add up to an excellent package. The fast hook-up capability once on the rig was an important element due to the timescale we had while the ISP jack-up was in dry dock.”
Gary adds, “In order to maintain our reputation as a market leader in the supply of offshore accommodation and workspace solutions we realise that customer service is paramount, it’s imperative that we maintain our high standards and as a result we have strengthened the team at Inverurie recruiting additional Engineering personnel and Maintenance Technicians for the Hire Division.”
“It is a reputation that has been built up over the last 30 years since our very first offshore module contract with Shell in 1976 supplying heli admin offices. We have since come a long way in terms of developing our offshore accommodation solutions through introducing new technologies and now provide to most of the major operators, drilling and service companies around the world. We have designed our products with total flexibility in mind and can provide accommodation to suit many requirements ranging upwards from 4 POB to 300 POB.”
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