Netherlands-based Mammoet, global service provider specialising in engineered heavy lifting and transport, has formed a strategic partnership with marine equipment owner Astro Offshore to work on projects in the Middle East.

Astro Offshore owns and operates a fleet of offshore support vessels, including a variety of tugs and barges, providing services to oil and gas construction projects throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The deal expands Mammoet’s capacity to provide comprehensive solutions in on- and offshore transport for oil and gas construction projects in the Middle East, said a statement from the company.

Both companies are major players in the transportation market for oversized cargo and are pre-qualified with the main EPC contractors around the globe.

Martijn Kuipers, managing director of Mammoet Middle East and Africa, said: “As barging is a critical aspect in the transport chain for all future oil and gas projects in this region, our new partnership will bolster our available barge and tug fleet in the region, and accordingly further strengthens our services in on- and offshore transport.”

“With our state-of-the-art equipment, extensive expertise in marine engineering, dedicated team of naval architects, combined with the resources and the knowledge provided by Astro Offshore, we can offer a complete package of heavy lifting and transport services, from port to foundation, for any project at any location,” he said.

Kuipers continued: “There is no engineered heavy lift and transport specialist in the world that has the extensive and longstanding expertise that our company has. We have been involved in the petrochemical industry for decades and have a proven track record in every service we deliver.”

“Our projects have included: Adnoc’s Shah Gas Project back in 2010, the KNPC Clean Fuel Project, Chevron’s El Segundo Refinery, Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah NGL, Shell’s Pearl Gas-to-Liquid project in Ras Laffan, Jangkrik FPSO, Yamal LNG, Gorgon LNG and the Gudrun platform, to name just a few,” he added.

Mark Humphreys, managing director of Astro Offshore, said: “We are pleased to announce this exciting partnership with Mammoet of which we believe will not only strengthen ties with existing customers, but new ones as well.”

“Whilst harnessing Astro’s and Mammoet’s strengths, we believe the partnership can provide a plethora of ‘door to door’ turnkey transportation solutions,” he said.

Humphreys added: “The synergies of both companies will further allow us to provide an unrivalled solution for our customers, leveraging on past projects experiences of executing large transportation jobs within the Middle East and subcontinent.”

Transportation projects that have been executed by Astro within the Middle East and Subcontinent comprise of D1 Development Project (Essar Projects), Phase-1 of Nasr & Umm Lulu Field Development Projects (Larsen and Toubro), 19 Platform Jackets, (Saipem).

“The timing of the partnership comes at the right time for our company, as we have shown a continued growth in the last few years in what could be considered as one of the most challenging eras’ in the offshore market,” Humphreys concluded. – TradeArabia News Service