Engineering and fabrication specialist L&N (Scotland) has won a welding contract for key components on one of the world's largest floating, production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSO) for harsh water.

The contract was awarded by SBM Offshore and is worth in excess of £500,000. Aberdeen-based L&N has invested in additional facilities to fulfill the contract.

The workscope includes the welding and cladding on a giant swivel stack destined for BP Norge’s Skarv FPSO which is being built in South Korea and when commissioned will be the most advanced and largest FPSO deployed in the Norwegian Sea.

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Formed in 1996, L&N supply valves and actuators to the oil and gas industry and in recent years has added weld cladding, fabrication and subsea control systems to its portfolio.

L&N operations director, Mike McArtney, said the contract was secured after a rigorous audit and qualification process and is expected to last for six months.

Mr McArtney said: "We have worked with SBM Offshore in the past so they were aware of our credentials but this award has propelled us to a new level.

"The client had to be satisfied of our technical capabilities and our capacity to complete this project in a relatively short time scale and we were able to show that in the audit procedures.

"It is a substantial contract for a company of our size but demonstrates that we can respond to client demands, rise to new challenges and commit the necessary resources to major projects. We are hoping to build on this relationship with SBM Offshore and secure similar contracts as we go forward."

Mr McArtney said L&N installed two new cladding stations which, with training costs, represented an investment of around £250,000, but he was confident that would be recouped with further contract wins.

(GK/KMcA)