NorSea Group invests in its first supply base in Scotland
Stavanger/Scrabster 24 April 2013
NorSea Group and the Scrabster Harbour Trust in Caithness have just signed an agreement which will result in major investment and new job prospects for the local economy.
Under the agreement NorSea Group will work with the Trust to bring in new business and develop Scotland’s most northerly mainland port as a one-stop supply base servicing the oil and gas industry.
"We are very excited about co-operating with Scrabster Harbour Trust to develop business for the strategically important port of Scrabster. The vision and commitment of the Trust have been fundamental in our decision to establish NorSea Group there. We are committed to involving the local community in all aspects of our phased development which will bring significant investment and job opportunities," says John E. Stangeland, CEO of NorSea Group. "NorSea Group is also very optimistic about opportunities which may arise from the emerging marine renewables sector as the company’s skills, expertise and operational model will be well suited to meet the needs of this sector."
"We are delighted that NorSea Group has chosen to establish itself at Scrabster, especially at this time of redevelopment of the harbour to respond to new business demands. Scrabster is ideally situated to support the major oil and gas developments emerging west of Shetland," says William Calder, Chair of Scrabster Harbour Trust.
NorSea Group already operates nine supply bases along the coast of Norway which provide logistics support to companies operating offshore on the Norwegian continental shelf. The Scrabster base will be the company’s first in Scotland and will combine the expertise and resources of NorSea Group with the benefits of Scotland’s most northerly mainland port.
The bases in Norway each host between 40 and 60 companies in the oil and gas industry providing full range of services from warehouse and storage facilities to engineering, construction, lifting equipment and inspections, mechanical workshops and machining to waste handling and storage. The new plans will see a similar model developed in Scrabster.
"I recently visited NorSea Group bases in Norway and was impressed by the operational excellence and supporting infrastructure at their bases, a model of which will be eminently transferable to the further development at Scrabster Harbour," says Calder.
NorSea Group AS is a privately owned company founded in 1965. The group is a leading supplier of base services and integrated logistics systems to the Norwegian oil and gas industry. Annual turnover is approximately NOK 2.5 billion. NorSea Group AS has its headquarters in Tananger outside Stavanger, and has proprietary interests in nine supply bases along the Norwegian coast. In addition, the group is an active promoter of the progressive development of Risavika as the region’s most important logistics hub. Main shareholders are Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA, Eidesvik Eiendomsinvest AS and Simon Møkster Eiendom AS. For more information, please visit www.norseagroup.com
Scrabster Harbour Trust was founded in 1841 and is the most northern UK mainland commercial port. Scrabster Harbour is an independent trust port governed by its own legislation. As a Trust Port, the port is operated commercially by the Trust which, although not publicly funded, is accountable to the wider community, as well as harbour users. As a self-financing business, it depends like any commercial concern on cash flows and profits for its successful operation. The Trust Port status also means all surpluses are reinvested in the maintenance and development of the port to ensure the varied requirements of users continue to be met. Over £35 million has been invested in port infrastructure since 2001. For more information please visit www.scrabster.co.uk
NorSea Group AS, press release