Oil giant BP said yesterday it had now signed deals worth more than £1billion for a huge project west of Shetland after agreeing another multimillion-pound contract.
BP said oilfield service group Aker Solutions would take part in the £3billion Quad 204 project, which involves the redevelopment of the Schiehallion and Loyal fields, after tying up a £70million deal.
As part of the agreement, Aker’s Aberdeen operation will provide subsea control equipment and safety isolation valves for the fields 100 miles west of Shetland.
Schiehallion and Loyal have already produced nearly 400million barrels of oil since output started in 1998, but BP has estimated the pair still hold a further 450million and it plans to continue production beyond 2035. A new floating production vessel is scheduled for 2015 and is expected to start producing the following year.
Aker will start delivering equipment for the project in the first half of next year.
BP said the latest deal was one of several tied to Quad 204 which would be carried out in the UK.
The operator has already agreed a £500million deal with Technip, which will be overseen from the service firm’s Westhill base, while Babcock International Group’s Rosyth facility landed a £30million-plus contract for the project.
Matt Corbin, managing director of Aker Solutions’ subsea business in the UK, said: “Aker Solutions has had a long and successful partnership with BP in the North Sea over many years. Having developed that mutual trust, we are delighted to play such a strategic role in this prestigious project.
“This award is further good news for Aker Solutions in the UK. Recent contract wins, combined with our ongoing recruitment campaign and investment in our people, premises and processes, reinforces our position as major player in the energy supply chain and contributor to the UK economy.”
Aker already employs about 2,800 people in and around Aberdeen, but wants its north-east workforce to grow to 3,200 by 2015, which would make it one of the area’s biggest employers.
Sullom Voe oil terminal is to receive its last shipment from Schiehallion this week before the field shuts down as part of the £3billion upgrade.
The shuttle tanker Loch Rannoch is loading her final cargo of oil and water as part of a cleaning up operation at the oil field before it closes down.
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