One of the first batch of 19 Grove GMK AT cranes being loaded in Germany en route to Saudi Arabia

Grove Crane of the UK recently won a major contract with Saudi Aramco for the supply of 19 new All-Terrain (AT) cranes for servicing and maintenance duties at oil production facilities throughout Saudi Arabia.

The deal, completed in conjunction with Grove's long-standing Saudi distributor Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo, is for 15 50 tonne-capacity GMK3050s, two 100 tonne GMK5100s, and two 200 tonne GMK5200s. The units, valued at close to $10 million, will be delivered to the Roads and Heavy Equipment Division.

Saudi Aramco has long been a customer of Grove Crane, with some 230 of its existing fleet of 270 cranes being Groves - including a variety of Rough Terrain (RT), AT and Truck-mounted models. This new deal is part of a major upgrading and replacement programme, and recognises particularly the value of the high-mobility of the latest AT cranes.

Grove has, for some time, championed the AT concept in the Middle East, and this order sees a large proportion of the truck cranes in Saudi Aramco's fleet being replaced by ATs. A substantial number of the RT cranes will also be replaced, although RTs will remain an important part of the fleet.

Of particular interest to Saudi Aramco is the provision of an on-board data-logging system, which will be carried on all new Saudi Aramco cranes, and was specially developed by Grove to meet Saudi Aramco's particular fleet management requirements.

Providing a comprehensive range of operational data back to a central control point direct from the field on a daily basis, (and eventually also with GPS (global positioning system) and tachograph feedback), it is one of the most modern and sophisticated systems, and one which will satisfy the management needs of a large and widely-dispersed crane fleet.

Using a PCMIA-based data-storage and transfer system, with the capability to operate reliably in extreme temperatures, the data-logger works via the established Grove EKS and ECOS (electronic crane operating system).

Another important part of the deal is a substantial product support and training programme which, with the involvement of both Grove and Kanoo personnel in the Kingdom and at Grove's Wilhelmshaven production facility in Germany, includes up to 48 weeks of thorough operator and technical training.

Kanoo, the Grove distributor in Saudi Arabia, will provide the product and technical support for the machines from its three main service centres in Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah, plus numerous satellite facilities throughout the Kingdom.

Srini Kadaba of Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo said, ''We have been the Grove dealer for more than 40 years and have sold several hundred cranes in this period, predominantly RT and Truck cranes. This latest order is one of the results of our efforts in promoting the AT crane concept during the last ten years.

''In conjunction with our customers, we have been able to evaluate the advantages of the modern AT crane concept in the tough climatic and operating conditions - often in remote locations, with difficult desert terrain and long travel distances.

''The AT cranes provide exceptional mobility and lifting performance, and have also proved that they can operate reliably and independently in this environment, and without the need for low-loader transport.''

Regional Director of Grove Worldwide, Hamid Summers added that this important new order from Saudi Aramco was further evidence of the strong Grove-Dealer-Customer relationship in the area.

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