Vulcan SFM, the specialist offshore design and project management division of heavy engineering firm Sheffield Forgemasters has secured a £1.3m deal to supply a North Sea oil project
Under the terms of this new deal Vulcan will deliver six drill riser joints to Norwich-based offshore engineering company Aquaterra Energy. The contract will support activity in the thriving oil and gas industry.
The deal is a major milestone within Vulcan’s strategy to exploit the growing offshore engineering market in the UK.
The forged steel components supplied will measure between 5.6m to 12.1m and will be used to transfer minerals from the seabed to the surface in oil fields across the North Sea, operating effectively in the world’s most difficult sub-sea environment.
Neil Sawyer, forgings sales manager at Vulcan, said: “The Aquaterra contract is a great and positive outcome from a large body of development work which Vulcan has been conducting into offshore forging materials over the past twelve months.”
In the last year, Forgemasters has invested significantly in increasing manufacturing capability for forged components, commissioning a new 4000T press and making improvements to heat treatment. The company now has the ability to conduct all stages of component manufacture on site including machining, cladding and pressure testing.
The offshore oil market is a highly competitive area. Strong crude oil prices are driving investments in field expansion and Vulcan is hopeful of exploiting the boom to the full.
To do so competitively Mr Sawyer says the firm is focusing on innovation and reducing lead times.
This most recent contract with Aquaterra is just the latest in a long string of deals for Vulcan. Other recent contracts were secured in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea.
