Western Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine will expand its presence in the state’s North West, establishing a new facility at the SINWA site in Karratha.
The operation has been established to meet the demands of Strategic Marine’s growing number of clients in the offshore oil and gas sector for fast and reliable marine services.
Strategic Marine Chief Operating Officer Scott Nicholls said the company had built and delivered a number of vessels now operating in the North West, so the timing was right to establish a permanent base in the region.
“ This new facility will provide rapid response marine services for the oil and gas sector, fabrication facilities and through life support for all vessels operating in the region,” Mr Nicholls said.
“ We are also developing a facility in Queensland to provide fabrication, engineering and marine services to the emerging gas industry, as well as oil and gas operations throughout neighbouring regions such as Papua New Guinea.
“This is part of our commitment to diversify global operations by expanding our service offering and product support to complement and build on the success of our traditional ship building and fabrication businesses in WA, Vietnam, Singapore and Mexico.”
Mr Nicholls said Strategic Marine planned to create a global marine service network providing clients with the option of local support for immediate service requirements, as well as providing support in South East Asia for long-term planned maintenance, major modifications and surveys requirements.
“This will reduce costs for clients through the efficiencies of our Vietnam and Singapore shipyards, backed by the quality assurance provided by our Australian management team,” he said.
Strategic Marine celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, growing from a Geraldton-based crayfishing boat builder to a multi-million dollar Australian marine vessels manufacturer with global operations spanning four countries.
During this time the company has consistently delivered cost effective projects from its offshore shipyards, while maintaining high levels of Australian input and content management expertise.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , November 15, 2011; Image: Strategic Marine