Company wins fresh Norway oil contract

A Yorkshire-based engineering firm is helping to find oil off the Norwegian coast after securing a major contract. Sheffield-based Geo Robson & Co (Conveyors), which employs 130 staff and has an £18m turnover, already carries out work with airports, power generators and the sugar refinery industry.

The company has secured a repeat order after completing a 3.1m project, which involved the building of a pipe handler conveyor and crane for the offshore oil exploration industry.

The pipe handler ensures that the drill pipe sections are transferred safely to and from the oil rig drilling platform.

A company spokesman said: "The pipe handler system involved specialist welding, hydraulic and electrical systems, which showcased Robson's in-house, engineering skills.

"The system was designed by TSC Offshore (based in Shipley, West Yorkshire) and is destined for the Norwegian oil fields."

Geo Robson & Co was established in 1906 by the grandfather of the present chairman Jim Robson. It specialises in power generation, biomass systems and the environmental waste sectors. Its major customers include British Sugar, United Sugar, Alstom Power and Drax Power Station near Selby.

The fabrication of the pipe handler was undertaken by Robsons' sister company, Rotherham-based RJD Engineering, which ensured the structure met weight limits set by the customer.