NOF Energy members in Ichthys FPSO deal

Two NOF Energy members have joined forces to complete contracts on a production and storage vessel which will be used off the Australian coast.

francis brown connectors4

Flexible Engineered Solutions International of Ashington, supplied Diverless Bend Stiffener Connectors for the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel working in the Ichthys Liquefied Natural Gas project.

FES International’s MD Rob Anderson said: “The project’s long life made it a particularly demanding technical challenge, as the solution had to be extremely robust and resistant to corrosion, marine growth and calcareous deposits.

“FES began pursuing the contract in December 2010 and subsequently, won this contract in mid-September. The DBSCs were produced and are being delivered in phases between October 2013 and September 2014.”

Francis Brown Ltd, a Stockton-based provider of fabrications, worked for FES and produced 50 umbilical connectors for the project.

Its contract involved a large amount of submerged arc welding, something in which the company is now an acknowledged expert.

“This was a high-profile job, with no room for error,” said Managing Director Jamie Brown.

“Submerged arc welding is a particular technique that we have perfected and is a requirement of the oil and gas industry, so we had eight to ten guys working on it for 18 months to make sure it went as smoothly as possible.

“That sort of experience means that the five apprentices we have are getting experience of some of our most high-spec projects, which is a great foundation for the future of the industry.”

Paul Livingstone, Business Development Manager at NOF, said: “This project is a great example of the strength of the NOF Energy network. More than 470 members are among the most experienced and skilled companies in the world and we can identify projects where they can work together because they know each other’s strengths and specialist skills.”

 

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Press Release, July 22, 2014