CABLE and pipe seal manufacturer Roxtec has won a major contract to supply one of the largest and deepest oil sea developments in the North Sea.

Roxtec’s UK and Korean operations are working with global petroleum giant BP on its offshore oil and gas project called ‘Quad 204’ where it is building a new floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.

The unit will be located approximately 80 miles west of Shetland, in Scotland. The Quad 204 is being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, the largest shipyard in the world. It will replace the existing ‘Schiehallion’ FPSO and include an extension of a subsea system with new and replacement flow lines, new and replacement risers and 14 wells in addition to the 52 existing ones.

Roxtec UK managing director Graham O’Hare says the firm’s deck seals are being used on the hull and top sides of the project and also in the living quarters.

He says: “We are working in partnership with the yard to supply a range of bespoke products which will seal stainless steel tubes. Our seals were chosen because maintenance of them is quick and simple and they will be easy to upgrade in future renovation work.

“Our Lloyds-approved, watertight seals will protect vital equipment on this production platform against salt water ingress which can be so damaging if cables are not properly sealed.

“The new FPSO was designed in the UK, is being constructed in South Korea and hook-up and commissioning will take place upon arrival in the North Sea. As a global company, we can provide support to the project from our bases in the UK and South Korea for the lifespan of this project.”

The Quad 204 is designed to operate in harsh weather conditions and, once it has been completed, is expected to produce 130,000 barrels of oil and more than 2 million cubic meters of gas a day.

The facility will also provide storage capacity for more than 1 million barrels of oil with construction due to be completed in summer 2014 and oil production commencing by 2017.

O’Hare says he is seeing Roxtec’s products being used more frequently in the oil and gas sector. Currently there are at least forty offshore assets under construction worldwide using Roxtec’s sealing solution, and it is pleasing that a number of these are taking place in the North Sea.

“Because we are a market leading company with an international presence, we are perfectly placed to advise and supply these types of projects which involve multiple geographical locations,” he adds. Roxtec was founded in Sweden in 1990. Today it is the global leader in the manufacture of innovative cable and pipe transit systems, supplying many of the world’s biggest firms. It has a global turnover of €138 million ($187 million) and is active in 70 markets.

In the UK its turnover has more than doubled in the past three years with sales above £3.7 million ($6.32 million) in 2012. Roxtec’s products are designed to seal cables and pipes and are used to protect people, buildings and equipment from fire, explosions, water, gas, dust, vibrations and electro-magnetic disturbances as well as vermin. Its key market sectors include marine, oil and gas, telecoms, construction, power (generation, distribution and transmission) OEM, (eg trains, engines, motors, generators) and the process industries. Roxtec has a Triple A credit rating and is actively expanding into new areas offering innovative and safe sealing solutions to a variety of industries.