A leading offshore firm has unveiled plans to build a supply base at a historic north-east airstrip.
Aberdeen-based Independent Oilfield Service (IOS) wants to upgrade its pipe yard at Longside Airfield to a fully-fledged offshore supply base.
It would have several large warehouses, separate office buildings and space for outside storage.
Taylor Design Services, which is acting as agent for IOS, said: “The core of their business is providing an ad-hoc maintenance and refurbishing service for pipework associated with the oil and gas industry.
“Although the business was originally set up on the south of Aberdeen, there has always been an acknowledgement that a quality maintenance facility could set them apart from their competitors, specifically looking to further establish themselves within the Peterhead area – making the Longside Airfield site a very attractive logistical solution.”
IOS’s development of the site, three miles west of Peterhead, has been gradual and the firm has submitted a number of applications over the past two years to steadily increase the size of the pipe storage yard.
It is understood that the firm initially looked at sites in neighbouring Peterhead, but could not find one large enough for the development.
The Taylor Design Services spokesman added: “Much of the workforce employed by IOS themselves live and work out of Peterhead.
“The increase in opportunities brought to Peterhead Port promote considerable economic benefits to the port itself, along with relevant haulage potential.
“The supply base should be viewed as simply an extension to Peterhead Port, which cannot accommodate the storage requirements being promoted by this development.”
The airfield was the base for RAF Peterhead during World War II.
After it was abandoned by the military in 1945, a large section was taken over by the local authority, although most of the site is now privately owned.
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