Norwegian life-saving systems manufacturer Harding has been contracted to deliver lifeboats and davits to the Culzean offshore gas complex Sembcorp Marine is building for Maersk Oil UK.
Harding’s global director of sales Bjørn Sturle Hillestad said: “We have worked hard to strengthen our position in today’s difficult offshore market. Winning the Culzean project was a key strategic goal in this process.”
Culzean is one of the largest gas discoveries of recent years in the UK North Sea, and the field center will comprise a 12-slot wellhead platform (WHP) linked by bridges to a central processing facility (CPF) supported by a floating storage and offloading vessel (FSO), and an installation for utilities and living quarters (ULQ).
Harding will deliver three FF1200 lifeboats to the ULQ and one FF1200 to the WHP, both with LA1200SU davits. The davits are scheduled for delivery by March 2017, with lifeboats to follow in December of the same year. The WHP/FSO contract is still in bid phase.
The FF1200 is a 70-person freefall lifeboat which the Norwegian company has delivered in just more than 100 units. The LA1200SU is a skid-launch davit specially designed for the FF1200.
Harding’s Regional Sales Director Odd Åge Helvik added: “Competition isn’t getting any easier, so we are very happy and proud to have won these latest contracts. We have our eyes and ears in Singapore, and that allows us to respond quickly to openings, and establish good contacts with the owner and the yard. Then we mobilize the technical team to tailor deliveries to the customer’s requirements.”