Major New Barge Operation

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Ferguson Group, a supplier and manufacturer of modules and containers for the energy industry around the world, has launched a new operation to offer accommodation barges in a significant development for the offshore market.

Ferguson Modular, a division of the Ferguson Group, is currently marketing the AMT Explorer for charter and negotiations are currently underway to purchase a second barge to be on offer from later this year.

The AMT Explorer barge will be available for charter from Ferguson Modular from August 1, offering a fully flexible accommodation solution to the needs of customers.

The launch of the new operation is part of the Ferguson Group’s growth strategy, with $98.9m being invested across the group over a three year period in expanding its ranges of units and containers.

The set up on the AMT Explorer will be tailored to the needs of individual customers, offering accommodation and facilities for between 66 and 132 POB, depending on configuration, with the option to add further modules. The second barge will be available for up to 240 POB. Both will have complexes that can be built up or stripped back to suit the exact needs of their project. They will be suitable for use in all major oil and gas provinces, as well as by the renewables sector.

The accommodation modules are designed to DNV 2.7-1 / EN 12079 certification, incorporating the latest HSE standards (Ferguson now holds BS EN ISO 9001, BS EN ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications) and all are built in-house guaranteeing the highest standards.

As well as consolidating existing strengths in the oil and gas sector, Ferguson Group is focused strongly on international growth and recent contract wins include Australia,USA, Caspian, West Africa and the North Sea. The renewables sector is also a growth market, with significant contracts to provide large scale accommodation complexes for offshore windfarms.