A CONSORTIUM including a subsidiary of Aberdeen-based international oil and gas logistics company Asco has been named as the preferred bidder to build and operate a marine supply base in Australia.
The bidder, which includes ShoreAsco, has entered into exclusive negotiations with the Northern Territory’s government to build the base at Darwin harbour as part of plans to turn the city into an international oil and gas hub.
ShoreAsco is negotiating with the government alongside Australian firms Macmahon Contractors and Capella Capital.
Northern Territory chief minister Paul Henderson, said it was vital oil and gas firms in the region gained experience from north-east companies such as Asco, adding: “The territory is on the cusp of something big, just as Aberdeen was in the 1970s, so it’s important that we look to other countries and learn from their experiences.”
The marine supply base is expected to be completed by 2013.