Balmoral to Kick Off Brazilian Production in 2015

In an announcement at the Rio Oil and Gas show in Brazil, Aberdeen-based deepwater buoyancy, insulation and elastomer product specialist, Balmoral Offshore Engineering, said its new Brazilian manufacturing facility will be up and running in the second quarter of 2015.

Alex Ellis, the British Ambassador to Brazil, helped the company make the announcement at the exhibition and commented: “The Brazilian market needs the support of companies such as Balmoral Offshore Engineering.”

Balmoral’s Aberdeen HQ exports more than 95% of its manufactured goods worldwide but now the company’s Brazilian division, Balmoral Offshore Industria de Plasticos Ltda, will service the South American market from a brand new facility in Vitoria, Espirito Santo.

It’s expected that the multi-million pound investment will create up to 100 local jobs with senior management from the UK operation being drafted in to provide on-site expertise, training and procedural implementation. Senior personnel from the Brazilian operation will also travel to Aberdeen for in-depth corporate, product and process training.

The new facility will manufacture the company’s broad portfolio of products from the largest deepwater drill riser and distributed buoyancy modules to a comprehensive range of elastomer mouldings including bend stiffeners, restrictors and cable protection.

Jim Milne CBE, chairman and managing director of Balmoral, said: “Having successfully provided deepwater buoyancy and elastomer products for a number of projects offshore Brazil, the time is now right to commit to local production.

“The plant, which is strategically located to service the South American sector, will replicate our multi-purpose facility in Aberdeen which has proved to be such an operational success in terms of flexibility and capacity. We anticipate the new facility being in full production by summer 2015.

“As a company we are well known for providing cost effective technology-led solutions to the deepwater oil and gas sector. I am delighted that we are bringing this expertise to Brazil and look forward to working even more closely with our client base in the region.”

The British Ambassador, Alex Ellis, added: “Setting up here in Brazil demonstrates the company’s long term commitment to the region. The consulate here in Rio de Janeiro will do all it can to help the team make the most of the significant opportunities here, drawing on what will be their considerable presence in the country.”

Balmoral’s international business development director, Jim Hamilton, concluded: “This is a major step forward in the development of Balmoral’s international capability. We will build on our core values of providing market-leading products and enhanced customer service to this important market.”

Press Release, September 18, 2014; Image: Balmoral