It’s exciting times for Martin Sisley, managing director of Ocean Installer.
The Stavanger-based firm, set up in January last year by a team of former Subsea 7 staff and backed by private equity, took over the entire 10,000 sq ft Innovation Centre premises at Bridge of Don in May.
Since taking on his role, Martin has seen the company take giant steps in Aberdeen.
“When I received the keys to the Ocean Installer UK office in the Aberdeen Energy and Innovation Parks, I walked through the doors with my one and only colleague,” he said.
“Two recruitment campaigns later, Ocean Installer UK now counts eight people.
Martin, who has been in the oil and gas industry for 22 years and was previously head of business development for Saipem, added that this is just the beginning. By the end of the year, some 20-30 people will be based in the Ocean Installer House, and by 2014 the company will have created approximately 100 jobs in Aberdeen.
“It is not only onshore that things have been happening – during the course of May we also successfully completed our first and second offshore job in the UK sector of the North Sea, first for Xcite on the Bentley field and then for Nexen/Saipem on the Scott field,” said Martin.
“Our progress in Aberdeen and the UK merely reflects the development of our company overall.
The company is recruiting fiercely and has secured long-term charters on two construction support vessels and has a true state-of-the-art vessel under construction, which delivers Q2 2014.
“We have efficiently concluded several offshore projects and have an ever growing backlog. In other words – Ocean Installer have passed the starting line and we are gaining speed,!” said Martin.
“We are committed to our vision of becoming a key service provider in the global SURF (Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, Flowlines) market. On the road towards this goal the steps taken, and to be taken, in Aberdeen are as important as any. Eight weeks on, we are on due course and it is full steam ahead.”