~ Growing Scottish firms strike deal based on international capability ~
Packaged gas and offshore handling expert RITCHIE has announced a significant contract with a Scottish-based oil field service company that supplies the full range of diving, welding, industrial, laboratory, test and calibration gases, Dominion Gas. Under the terms of the new contract, RITCHIE will manufacture cylinder diving gas frames, for use on Dominion Gas contracts across the globe.
The frames will hold 48 or 64, 50 litre capacity, three hundred bar cylinders. Each frame has a dedicated serial number so that it can be tracked, providing material traceability and integrating with Dominion Gas’ asset management software (CATS). Within the system, every cylinder is assigned a serial number, allowing clients to log in to the company’s Web site to monitor progress.
In order to manufacture the frames to a size that would meet Dominion Gas’ transport requirements, RITCHIE purpose designed a new top section to reduce the height of the entire assembly. After this process was complete, the structure then had to be re-submitted for DNV 2.7-1:2006, the Det Norske Veritas Standard for Certification of Offshore Units. It is also fully compliant with BS EN 12079, the British Standard for the design, construction and testing of offshore containers.
The two piece gas cylinder pack frame was then designed fit the state-of-the-art galvanising plant at RITCHIE’s Forfar site. Previously, Dominion Gas has used smaller, 16 cylinder, frames in similar projects. However, it makes solid financial sense to use larger structures, allowing the company reduce the number of offshore lifts by up to a factor of four. Furthermore, having a combination of different sizes available allows Dominion Gas to fit the frames into the available boat space in the most efficient manner. The contract is being fulfilled to match the production schedule of the cylinders themselves.
“It’s my belief there are only a handful of companies that could deliver this project within the required timescale,” explained Scott Downie, the RITCHIE industrial sales executive involved. “There was DNV compliance to contend with and a significant design element, which puts it outside the scope of most large fabrication facilities. RITCHIE has a manufacturing survey agreement with DNV, which reduces the need the need for extended inspection. As a result, we are able to offer a compliant service to meet even very ambitious deadlines such as this one. Our manufacturing processes and internal capacity are ideal for this kind of project.”
“RITCHIE and Dominion Gas now have a long standing relationship that stretches over almost two decades,” explained John MacAskill, sales director of RITCHIE. “Dominion Gas has grown significantly in recent years, opening new gas plants in Norway, Baku, West Africa and Aberdeen. I think there is enormous potential for the company, and particularly its diving gas products, globally. There was a very successful management buy out at Dominion Gas in 2007, which has enabled the company to install an infrastructure capable of growing the business both at home and internationally whilst continuing to place emphasis on traditional values such as service, quality and customer focus.”
“Dominion Gas views international supply and expansion as a key element of its growth ambitions and we believe that this contract with RITCHIE both reinforces that message and reflects a solid trading relationship between the two organizations,” explained George Yule, Chief Executive of Dominion Gas. “As a preferred supplier to our business RITCHIE has proven its ability to match our own, very high standards, and to mirror our ambitions.”
Ends: 568 words
Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from RITCHIE, paste the following link into your RSS reader, http://ritchie-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package http://www.sharpreader.net/.
For further information contact: John MacAskill,
David Ritchie (Implements) Limited, Carseview Road,
Forfar, Scotland, DD8 3BT
Telephone: 01307 462271
Fax: 01307 464081
e-mail: jmacaskill@ritchie-uk.com
www: http://www.ritchie-uk.com/
Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale,
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/
About RITCHIE: RITCHIE provides innovative handling, storage and security solutions for the industrial gas & chemical, offshore and agricultural sectors. The business was established over a century ago and today employs over 120 people in Scotland, supplying businesses across the globe.
About Dominion Gas: Aberdeen-based Dominion Gas is the leading independent supplier of diving and industrial gases to the global offshore industry, with turnover in 2008 anticipated above £25million – this represents a 4-fold increase over the past 2 years. The company now employs 70 staff worldwide with offices in Baku, Singapore, West Africa, Norway and Scotland and representation in UAE and Latin America.
Ref: RIT029/03/08
