Balmoral Offshore Engineering (BOE), of Aberdeen, is to set up a Brazilian manufacturing facility to target opportunities in South America.
The multimillion-pound investment could create up to 100 local jobs, with several experts from the Granite City operation being drafted in to assist with plant commissioning.
As part of the venture, the subsea buoyancy, insulation and elastomer product specialist is setting up a new division – Balmoral Offshore Brasil.
A number of locations for the facility are being considered, with a final decision expected soon. The new facility will manufacture the company’s complete range of products from the largest deepwater riser buoyancy and insulation systems to smaller, more intricate, elastomer mouldings such as bend stiffeners, restrictors and cable protection.
BOE international business development director Jim Hamilton said: “Having successfully provided deepwater buoyancy and elastomer products for a number of projects offshore Brazil, we believe the time is right to commit to local production.
“The plant, which will be 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 the first quarter of 2012.
“As a company, we are dedicated to cost-effective technology-led solutions for the deepwater oil and gas sector and are pleased to bring this expertise to the Brazilian market.”
BOE already exports more than 95% of all manufactured goods from its Granite City headquarters.
It is a division of Balmoral Group Holdings, which employs more than 360 people, virtually all in Aberdeen.