North east England engineering firm OGN Group has secured a multi-million pound contract with EnQuest to undertake finishing and commissioning works on the EnQuest Producer, a 249m-long floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
The vessel, which was previously Bluewater’s Uisge Gorm FPSO, recently arrived at OGN’s Hadrian Yard, Wallsend.
Ahead of its arrival, OGN completed dredging in the River Tyne at its quayside to accommodate the 53,176-tonne FPSO.
On completion of the works, the vessel will be deployed to the Alma/Galia field in the North Sea, which is a redevelopment of the UK’s first producing field, Argyll.
David Edwards, chief executive officer at OGN Group, said: “The awarding of this contract is a major endorsement for the UK’s oil and gas supply chain and, in particular, OGN Group’s ability to deliver on a project of this scale.
“We are proud to welcome the EnQuest Producer to Tyneside. Utilising a specialist UK EPC contractor highlights that this country has the skills and capacity to support operators, such as EnQuest, in the development of prominent oil and gas projects.”
David added: “This project will have a significant impact on the North East economy, particularly in terms of creating employment and providing opportunities for the region’s high quality supply chain."
Image: The EnQuest Producer docked at Wallsend.
“With Wallsend’s proud shipbuilding history, it’s quite moving to see a vessel of this size and scale docked at Hadrian Yard. It sends a clear signal that this region still has much to offer the global energy industry.”
The vessel had been at Blohm+ Voss' shipyard in Hamburg. Blohm+ Voss had been awarded a contract in early 2012, for the conversion and life extension project on the EnQuest Producer.