Danish offshore project and engineering company Semco Maritime has entered into a strategic partnership with Scottish Cromarty Firth Port Authority.

Cromarty Firth Port Authority owns and operates Scotland’s leading marine facility for rig projects, the Invergordon Service Base, situated some 100 kilometres Northeast of Aberdeen.

With more than 40 years’ experience delivering engineering and marine support services to the energy sector, the Port has handled over 650 rig visits, owing to its strategically important location and its position as Scotland’s deepest water engineering facility.

This joint partnership with Cromarty Firth Port Authority will offer customers a dedicated port facility at Invergordon, combining the project management, engineering experience of Semco Maritime with the marine expertise of Cromarty Firth Port Authority, to deliver the best solutions for the clients.

Working together will bring new projects to the area and offer a wide choice of solutions for existing and potential customers. This is expected to boost the regional Scottish energy sector and create opportunities for the local supply chain. The Port will continue to invest in the development of capabilities in logistics, heavy lifting equipment and agency services, as well as facilities such as warehousing, office accommodation, and the provision of additional car parking, and is expanding the Invergordon Service Base by a further 9 acres and an additional deep water quay. As Cromarty Firth Port Authority creates the infrastructure, Semco Maritime will contribute with additional investments in onshore equipment, workshops and other operation facilities.

Chief Executive of Cromarty Firth Port Authority, Bob Buskie, comments: “In order to support Semco Maritime’s activities in Invergordon, we are strengthening our position as a Services provider. This means developing our capabilities in logistics, heavy lifting equipment and agency services, as well as facilities such as warehousing, office accommodation, and the provision of additional car parking.”

A strategic milestone for Semco Maritime

The agreement marks an important milestone in the fulfilment of Semco Maritime’s growth strategy plan within rig projects. The new rig upgrade facility at Invergordon adds the final “third leg” to the already existing rig upgrade facility in Esbjerg, Denmark, and sites in Norway, making Semco Maritime able to handle all types and sizes of rig upgrade projects from conveniently located and easily accessible sites around the North Sea.

As per January 27, a permanent staff of initially 10 engineers, project leaders and ground personnel from Semco Maritime will be in place at the Invergordon Facility ready to serve rig operators around the North Sea Area. According to head of Semco Maritime Rig Projects, Senior Vice President, Hans Peter Jørgensen, the number of personnel employed at Invergordon will vary depending on the current projects.

“We are delighted to be working with the Cromarty Firth Port Authority. We have been successfully working jointly with ports in Norway, Denmark and as far afield as Vietnam, for many years. Our investment of £5m will ensure we establish ourselves as a serious alternative to other rig repair companies. We plan to make further investments as we grow our business.”

“Because of tight time schedule and the demand for precise and accurate execution, rig upgrade is a highly manpower intensive operation creating several hundreds of jobs when a rig is harboured for service. Many of the jobs will be performed by local suppliers and skilled local labour working closely together with Semco Maritime’s own Rig Upgrade Specialist Team.”

“The North Sea is a natural key market for Semco Maritime’s rig activities, which also include operations in The Mexican Gulf and Far East. Although the launch of a new facility in Invergordon expands the company’s combined rig upgrade capacity significantly, the facilities in Denmark and Norway are expected to maintain the current level of activity due to the increasing demand for rig upgrade in general”, says Hans Peter Jørgensen.

Semco Maritime’s global Rig Projects Division has recorded strong growth during the last five years, and Group CEO Steen Brødbæk expects continued progress.“This is in line with the group strategy. Semco Maritime offers a number of strong competences within project management and engineering to the energy sector. Combined with focused technologies, we have established a unique foundation for servicing our customers. We have a strong focus on growing our business in the North Sea market in the UK, Norway and Denmark – and we will utilize this solid footprint as a stepping stone for our global ambitions.”