Aker Kvaerner Offshore Partner, headquartered in Aberdeen, is to open a satellite office in Stockton-on-Tees, UK. The office will be responsible for a range of upstream oil and gas projects, and modification work. The office is located within the existing Aker Kvaerner premises at Ashmore House, Stockton-on-Tees and will be operational from January 2006. "In addition to servicing work arising from current and future clients, Aker Kvaerner intends to develop the office as a center of engineering excellence to execute cross-border work for our Norwegian sister companies and clients," said Richard Strachan, operations director with Aker Kvaerner Offshore Partner Ltd. Based in Stockton for more than 100 years, Aker Kvaerner has a long-standing commitment to the Teesside area.