Byers hails winning of largest ever overseas offshore contract
15 Mar 2001
UK Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers today described the £300m contract to build an oil-processing module for Nigeria as a major boost to UK manufacturing and an important step towards achieving full employment in all parts of the United Kingdom.
The building of the module is part of the £1.6bn deepwater Bonga development, which will process 225,000 barrels of oil a day. It is estimated that over 4,000 jobs will be created by the deal involving AMEC and Shell.
The jobs include highly specialist electrical and mechanical engineers and draughtsmen, as well as platers, pipefitters, welders, electricians and instrument technicians.
According to a statement from the DTI, the contract will provide 1,000 jobs at AMEC's Wallsend yard on Tyneside and 1,100 subcontracting jobs in the North East, including up to 750 at Heerema's yard in Hartlepool.
A further 1,600 jobs will be created in small and medium-sized contractors and suppliers throughout the country as well as 300 jobs in London in engineering and project management.
'The project the first major development in deep waters offshore Nigeria, so this contract is of vital strategic importance,' said Byers. 'It will put the UK in an excellent position when it comes to winning future contracts in the country, as well as other deep water projects because we will have the relevant technology and expertise.
The contract will inject £100m of work in the UK supply chain and is said to be the UK's largest ever overseas offshore contract.
