The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Safety group nets more than £500k of contracts
Consultancy reports marked upturn in its first-quarter activity
An Aberdeen-based offshore consultancy and safety firm has reported contract wins worth more than £500,000 in the first three months of the year.
Seacroft Marine says it has seen a marked increase in marine activity supporting the UK oil and gas sector.
Most recently, the firm has been contracted to train 300 people in safe vessel operations within 500 metres of a client’s rigs in the southern North Sea.
Other work includes a deal with Ineos FPS to support its vessel operations.
This includes overseeing the walk-to-work accommodation vessel Polar Queen during a threemonth contract with the Ineos FPS’ Unity platform.
Seacroft – whose services include emergency response and rescue vessel services, and simulator training in ship handling – is housed in the Roundhouse, a former navigation centre on Pocra Quay.
Jennifer Fraser, company director responsible for the commercial side of Seacroft’s business, said: “Seacroft Marine is an owner-managed marine consultancy which means we have been well placed to respond quickly to our clients’ growing – and changing – needs in 2018.
“Seacroft has already been actively recruiting to new roles in the company and our projection is for continuing growth in busi- ness and employment as the year progresses.”
Discussing the marine training and vessel support work, Michael Cowlam, technical director of Seacroft Marine, said: “SafeZone 500 has already been adopted by seven leading operating companies on the UKCS and Seacroft have trained over 600 platform, rig and vessel personnel to the SafeZone 500 standard; that figure will now rise to over 1,000 by the year end.
“Walk-to-work monohull accommodation vessels are relatively new to central and northern North Sea operations, so Seacroft are pleased to have this opportunity to lead in the development and oversight of innovative safe operating procedures for walk-to-work vessel use in combined accommodation and Emergency Response & Rescue Vessel roles.”