Expro with new base for its Matre subsea products
Work will start shortly on creating a new 60m NOK base for international oilfield service company Expro’s Matre products in Norway. The new facility, which will cost more than NOK 60m with an additional 10m NOK in tooling and fit out, will be a world-class centre of excellence with a commitment to raising standards and processes in line with the company’s excellence in operations programme. Expro’s Matre range of sensors, renowned for excellent service and reliability, are deployed within Expro’s market leading high integrity subsea power and data connection systems as part of the company’s connectors and measurements business.
The base will be built by Zurhaar & Rubb AS in the Ternetangen industrial area in the Bomlo area of Hordaland. Planning permission has been approved and building contracts are expected to be signed within the next month with an expected 12-month construction programme.
The Teknologisk Institutt (Norwegian Technology Institute) has been contracted during the design phase to consult on lean manufacturing and layout. The highest standards of health and safety have been incorporated within the design in line with Expro’s zero lost time incidents (LTIs) for Matre.
Heating will be generated by heat transfer pumps using the natural warmth of the local fjord, ensuring minimum impact to the environment. The facility will be around 3,300 square metres with room for expansion on the site. A dedicated area has been allocated to house a hyperbaric chamber to supply oil filled cable assemblies and to fully terminate sensor harnesses
Phil Ashley, Expro’s business manager – Matre products - said: “Expro’s Matre products team has increased output since Expro’s acquisition in Feb 2005 from around 800 units per year to almost 1600 this year. Our new facility is part of this continued expansion and Expro’s belief in the subsea market.
“The technical skills and knowledge of our people having worked in subsea since 1988 and having delivered more than 10,000 subsea sensors led us to select the Bomlo area of the Hordaland area to develop the new facility. “We have been working since September last year with our own architects and with our selected developer to design a facility which will enhance both our capabilities and our standards to the benefit of our clients.”
