Marine Fabricators Ltd

Robust fabrication

Founded on the recommendation of previous clients looking for a trusted supplier of medium to heavy fabrication solutions, Marine Fabrications Ltd. was founded in 1998 and has since completed numerous projects designed for a number of applications across the oil and gas, offshore, marine and renewable energy industries. Based within the Haverton Hill Industrial Estate in Stockton-on-Tees, England, the company has gained a strong reputation in the fabrication of both bespoke and more conventional structures. “Originally two of us set up the company and we had both previously been involved in similar work in marine and offshore manufacture. We were encouraged by some of our previous customers to begin our own venture and we started with a large project to provide three carousels for a vessel conversion on behalf of DSND, which is now part of Subsea 7,” explains Managing Director, Steve Reed.

Having successfully completed the delivery of its first projects, Marine Fabricators quickly grew to expand its fabrication facilities and manufacturing capabilities. The business was originally housed in two bays within the main fabrication shop at Haverton Hill Shipyard (formerly Swan Hunter) and has since grownto encompass seven bays covering a combined area of approximately 45,000 ft2. Between 2008 and 2011 Marine Fabricators also installed two new wireless controlled 40 tonne overhead travelling cranes and today the fabrication shop is currently served by three 15 tonne as well as the two 40 tonne overhead travelling cranes with maximum hook heights of 10.5 metres and 17 metres respectively.

During 2009, to meet project requirements Marine Fabricators manufactured and installed a triple-panel sliding door, 17.2 metres wide and 15 metres high in bay seven of its workshop. This grants the facility effective access to a 2000 tonne capacity load out quay, while the site also benefits from excellent access to the local road network with wide-load access to the A19 and therefore the A1. Other nearby quayside facilities, which are easily accessible, include Tees Offshore Base and the deepwater port Tees Dock. These facilities allow Marine Fabricators to continue to develop niche products that directly address the needs of its clients across a number of industry sectors.

“We are currently mostly involved in the production of cable and pipe laying equipment for lay ships. We have also undertaken offshore standard and other specialised fabrication projects too. With the increase in the amount of floor space that we had available to us we were able to turnover twice as many contracts and by increasing our workforce to meet demand we were able to increase our financial return accordingly,” says Steve. “We are almost at single shift capacity now, limited by the floor space, and to overcome this we have a flexible night shift which is introduced to meet delivery requirements of individual projects. We currently do not have any plans to expand on a permanent basis, however we do have options for the hire of another site. Then of course we would be operating two sites, which is never as efficient. So this is something we will consider in conjunction with our future workflow.”

Previous projects undertaken by Marine Fabricators include overboarding/lay towers with capacities from 60 tonnes to 200 tonnes; sheaves: 600 dia. wire rope sheaves, through to 6000 dia. over-boarding vee-sheaves; carousels: (for flexible pipe and power cable) from 750 tonne capacity 15 metre diameter to 7000 tonne 27 metre diameter, (50+ carousels manufactured to date); tensioner systems: varying capacities ranging from three to 45 tonnes capacity, (14 No 30-tonne tensioners manufactured recently); pipe handling equipment: hydraulically operated spooling arms and chute structures; ROV launch and recovery systems for Lawson Engineers and the Kizomba TLP and A-Frames up to 150 tonnes capacity. Today the company serves a number of clients across a number of industries and its previous customers include 2H Offshore, Amclyde Norson, CTC Marine Projects, Heerema Hartlepool Ltd, EMAS AMC, BAE Systems and Technip Offshore Ltd amongst others. Its main customers at the moment are MAATS Tech as well as AmClyde Norson Engineering and the Norwegian company DEMAnor. Presently Marine Fabricators is completing a 7000 tonne carousel & associated cable handling equipment for MAATS Tech Ltd.

“As the oil and gas market has depressed recently Marine Fabricators have continued to pick up work and continues to grow within the renewables and offshore sectors. We have additional orders for cable handling systems from MAATS Tech and a new customer in Tees White Gill Thrusters for whom Marine Fabricators are manufacturing some major thruster components. We owe most of our recent success to our strong relationship with MAATS tech Ltd, since 2013 we have manufactured and installed 24 carousel systems (1500t to 7000t capacity), with ancillary equipment, largely for the oil and gas markets and we are very proud of our recent success,”Steve says. “MAATS Tech are by far our current largest customer in terms of capital value and tonnage through the workshop. DEMAnor are a relatively new client and the first Norwegian customer for us. We initially manufactured a winch mounting system, which was then shipped to them in northern Norway. In early 2016 we completed a large carousel type system for use in the umbilical manufacture sector. We are currently preparing to make our first delivery on our most exciting project to date with MAATS Tech Ltd. By the end of 2016, delivery and installation will be well underway on a 7000 tonne carousel as well as a 4500 tonne capacity carousel; spooling system; four track tensioners (45 tonne capacity); and associated cable handling equipment for ABB’s new state of the art vessel ABB Victoria.”

Marine Fabricators has established a proven track record, which represents a key asset that continues to drive the company forward. With its strong portfolio of completed works, ideally designed fabrication facilities and well-connected location, Marine Fabricators is set to continue long into the future. The company’s strengths are in its ability to provide solutions in a niche market as well as to take on more standard or larger projects. This diverse range of solutions makes Marine Fabricators a key partner for clients looking for reliable fabrication solutions. “We have a strong track record, especially where carousels are concerned. We have shown that we are consistently able to build them very efficiently. We produce good quality products and do so on time – which is crucial,” Steve concludes. “With the uncertainty remaining in the oil and gas industry the next 12 months will be very challenging and we will be looking to form relationships with new customers, while looking to expand our customer base to further develop and strengthen our current relationships. We are also in the process of tendering for a number of major projects for two important clients and the company has a strong order book until Q1 2017 with fabrication capacity available in Q4 2016.”

Marine Fabricators Ltd

Services: Medium to heavy fabrication