Ferguson Modular, a major supplier and manufacturer of offshore accommodation solutions for the energy industry around the world, has awarded a £3.2million contract for refit and refurbishment work on its new accommodation support vessel.
The company, a division of the Ferguson Group, is investing £25million in its accommodation support vessel which arrived from South East Asia into Port Glasgow in December 2009, and anticipates the work by Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd at Port Glasgow being completed by June 2010. The project will create jobs in Glasgow and an additional 10 posts at the Ferguson Group’s Inverurie base.
The vessel is seen as a logical extension to the flexible accommodation solutions offered by Ferguson Modular, which also has a range of accommodation complexes and work space units available for rental.
Ferguson Modular is currently finalising the in house manufacture of the 49 DNV 2.7-1 / EN 12079 certified modules which will comprise the accommodation complex on board the accommodation support vessel. The fully flexible complex will offer accommodation and facilities for between 120 and 240 POB (persons on board) depending upon client project requirements. It will be suitable for use in all major oil and gas provinces, as well as by the renewables sector.
The vessel can be supplied with the exact level of accommodation, office, galley, mess and recreation space needed to provide the ideal working environment for a specific project and additional accommodation and facilities can be added as required. Further critical elements such as mooring systems, walk to work systems, craneage, survival craft and helideck can be supplied if necessary.
Speaking at the award of the accommodation support vessel outfitting contract, Ferguson Group managing director Steven Ferguson said “We selected Ferguson Shipbuilders because of its reputation for quality and its recent track record on a similar project. We are pleased to keep the contract within Scotland; this is a great advert for Scottish companies and demonstrates the skills which are available competitively in this country.”
Richard Deane, Managing Director of Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited, said “The award of the contract is a welcome boost for the yard and the community of Inverclyde which will benefit almost immediately with the creation of new employment.
“We look forward to working closely with Ferguson Modular in this new venture and hope to share in its future expansion and success”.
Commenting further, Mr Ferguson said: “Our first accommodation support vessel is part of Ferguson Modular’s ongoing strategy to expand internationally and increase the range of quality accommodation solutions we can offer for rental to both new and existing clients.
“We carried out a wide-ranging consultation on the offshore accommodation market and it pointed to a lack of suitable accommodation support vessels with appropriate quality and standards, as well as the recognition that securing accommodation requirements were being placed higher up project managers’ agendas. We chose these vessels because they are the most flexible option and we believe we should adapt solutions to suit our clients and not expect them to adapt their requirements.
“This truly is a major development for the offshore market – other accommodation support vessels only offer fixed complexes built as one unit. In contrast, our accommodation modules provide a great deal of flexibility offering units which are the best on offer in the world and meet all safety requirements. We believe coupling this technical excellence with the ability to tailor the package we offer will be highly attractive to existing and potential clients.’’
The Ferguson Group employs more than 140 people worldwide through its divisions serving the offshore container rental and accommodation modules markets. The group, based at Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, has operations in all major global oil and gas locations to ensure the best service for its customers.
As well as consolidating existing strengths in the oil and gas sector, Ferguson Group is focused strongly on international growth and recent contract wins include Australia, Caspian, West Africa and the North Sea. The renewables sector is also a key growth market.
