SEA structures bound for African oil fields have left the North East, signalling a new era for the firm that built them.
The mid-water arches are designed to support pipelines and control systems as they rise from the seabed to the surface. The 12m-high structures have been built by A&P Tyne.
They are now sailing to an oil field off the coast of Nigeria after a team worked around the clock at the Hebburn firm’s yard to fulfil the order placed by Trelleborg Offshore.
Bosses at A&P Tyne see the contract as an important move from the yard’s traditional ship repair work. The firm is now working on a structure for a Norwegian oil field.
In their first foray into the oil and gas sector, engineers have cut, shaped and welded the 25m-long steel structures to a strict deadline.
Martin Robertson, sales and marketing manager at A&P Tyne, said the firm had overcome some obstacles to deliver the project.
“The timescale was tight and it was important it was delivered on schedule,” he said. “It was the first contract of its type for the company and it’s gone extremely well.
“We did face some challenges; the welding requirements are quite strenuous and we had to ensure our welders met the certification levels needed.”
