Sparrows Offshore LLC (formerly Energy Cranes LLC), the Houston-based offshore crane, fluid power and pipe-laying equipment specialist, has signed contracts in 2010 worth more than $8m. With the new work, the company plans to increase its U.S. workforce by six percent, creating onshore and offshore jobs in the group's Houston and Louisiana operating bases.
The new contracts cover crane refurbishment projects for long-term rental projects and new crane sales internationally and in the Gulf of Mexico and have been awarded by customers including Shell, Chevron, Apache, Total, Superior Energy, Transocean, EOG, Nippon, Maritech, Northstar and K-Mesco.
Sparrows is also about to embark on an extensive installation program of its own branded cranes across a number of key energy hubs in the world, including the UAE, India, Angola, the Caspian Sea and Singapore.
Sparrows Executive Director, Western Hemisphere, Chris Dixon said, "Securing $8m in new contracts is a good start to the new year for Sparrows Offshore, which reflects returning confidence in the offshore sector. "Sparrows Offshore continued to invest in our people and facilities throughout 2009 and we are now well placed to respond to upturning client demand.
"These new contracts have allowed Sparrows Offshore to create almost 20 new jobs in the Gulf of Mexico, which we are actively recruiting to increase our staff in the United States by 6% to around 370. The U.S. recruitment effort represents a large percentage of the group's budgeted recruitment for 2010. We also await word on several other potential contracts that may come to fruition over the course of the next couple of months," Dixon said.