Scotvalves To Build New Facility

Oil services company Scotvalve Services Limited (Scotvalves), part of Petrofac Offshore Projects and Operations, has announced its plans for a new state-of-the-art, flagship workshop facility at Kintore, Aberdeenshire. The 4.4 acre site will be almost four times the size of the existing Scotvalves facility at Dyce and will house new tooling machinery including a 50 tonne crane and a modern high pressure facility incorporating gas test capability.

The facility, which is being developed by Malcolm Allan Builders, is expected to be complete within 11 months, with the transfer of operations planned for the middle of next year.  The expansion of the company is expected to create around 15 new long-term jobs to add to Scotvalves’ current 55-strong team. It will also support the local infrastructure and contribute to the growth of the new Kintore industrial development.

The requirement for the new facility came as Scotvalves reacted to a heightened demand on its services from operators, original equipment manufacturers, service companies and drilling contractors. With an increasing focus on the verification of the safety and integrity of equipment, the oil & gas industry has been readily adopting best practice in the fields of inspection, repair and maintenance. This includes full certification and service of critical items such as well control and process equipment becoming a pre-requisite. The local market has limitations in its capacity to cater for larger equipment and very often items need to be sent out with the area for maintenance and repair, incurring additional time and cost. The facility, while focusing predominately on the North Sea, will also provide capacity to offer services internationally.

The Kintore facility will have the capability to repair and test subsea and drilling/pressure control equipment of up to 21 ¼”. Its new test pit will be seven meters long, six meters wide and six meters deep with the latest high-tech specification and pressure test capability for 30,000 per square inch (psi). The design means it will be fully contained with a lid and sliding pressure test door for pressure containment.

The facility will be as environmentally and energy efficient as possible following recommendations made by energy consultants TNEI, another subsidiary of Petrofac, and the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Services. Around 240,000 litres of water will be needed to fill the test pit and this will come from an innovative bespoke rain water harvesting system built into the roof.

Roy Burnett, Director - Oilfield Services for Scotvalves said: “We’re delighted to announce the plans for our new facility; it’s very exciting for both Scotvalves and Petrofac and it reflects the growth we’ve been experiencing over the last few years. As always our focus remains on working to the highest standard, ensuring safety and integrity of equipment and maximising operational uptime for our customers.”

Bill Dunnett, Managing Director, Petrofac Offshore Projects & Operations commented: “This development further demonstrates our continued commitment to the area, where we recognise the skills, experience and infrastructure we need to maintain growth and continually develop our business. We value these attributes highly and constantly strive to recruit and invest locally. This is another example of our commitment to local delivery within our key communities and I look forward to seeing the facility up and running, next year.”