Gas terminal builder loses £284m on Shetlands job

Aaron Morby 9 years ago
Share

Oil and gas terminal design and build specialist Petrofac has warned it is facing a massive loss on the Laggan-Tormore gas plant in the Shetland Islands.

In February, the engineering contractor revealed it had booked a loss of £154m on the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal job after agreeing final completion terms with client Total.

But bad weather conditions and its decision to ramp up manpower to rectify poor works and finish the job in the third quarter of this year will see losses soar by a further £130m.

The London Stock Exchange quoted international engineering firm blamed the extent of its losses on having to take on direct construction risk after it claimed subcontractors failed to deliver to standard on the job.

Ayman Asfari, Petrofac’s Group Chief Executive, said: “We had to take on this level of direct construction responsibility when some of our subcontractors failed to deliver in line with their agreed scopes.

“Our lack of experience of operating a direct construction model in a wholly new geography for our onshore engineering and construction business, particularly in a location where labour costs are much higher and productivity much lower than we are used to, has cost us dearly.

“We have already affirmed that we will no longer take construction risk on large lump-sum projects within the UK to avoid a similar experience to Laggan-Tormore moving forward.”

cs-laggan-tormore-3

Morrison Construction was managing the building and civil engineering works for the new Laggan Tormore gas plant under a £110m contract.

Balfour Beatty Engineering Services has been one the engineering construction subcontractors.

The project has involved over 3,500 separate reinforced concrete foundations, offices, workshops, warehouses and 33 other industrial buildings and 4km of roads as well as excavation and backfilling for 1,000km of cables and 30km of pipes up to 6m deep in Shetland granite.

French oil company Total awarded Petrofac an £500m lump-sum engineering, procure and construct contract to develop the new Shetland gas plant back in October 2010.

When Petrofac announced results for 2014 it booked the £154m loss in an attempt to draw a line under the troubled project assuring shareholder that there would be no further losses on the project over the remainder of the contract.

During late March and early April, activity on the Laggan-Tormore site was ramped up substantially as it shifted into the final construction and commissioning phases of the project.

Continued adverse weather conditions during March on Shetland and industrial action delayed this mobilisation by almost a month.

It said that as the activity levels have increased, it became apparent that significantly more man-hours were needed to complete the project as a result of low manpower productivity levels as the project nears completion and a greater level of rectification and reinstatement work than expected from the failure of one of its subcontractors to deliver in line with their agreed scope.

Latest news

Expanding consultant Stantec swoops for Hydrock

Stantec UK business expands by a third as 950 staff join from Bristol-based engineer
11 hours ago

National Grid unveils winners for £9bn network upgrade

New 'enterprise model' to deliver infrastructure schemes quicker and cheaper
13 hours ago

Chigwell Group looks at stock market listing

Essex contractor registers as Public Limited Company
19 hours ago

A57 Mottram Bypass clears final legal challenge

Balfour Beatty to get go-ahead to start shortly
20 hours ago

100 jobs axed as Geoffrey Osborne confirms administration

Chairman Andrew Osborne calls it a 'sad day' as board loses fight for survival
2 days ago

Midgard set for Notting Hill office tower overhaul

Landmark project edges towards final approval after 10-year planning saga
19 hours ago

Cumbrian civils firm clinches £40m Sellafield contract

Civils specialist Stobbarts will support McAlpine on groundworks and concrete
18 hours ago

Designers named for London 2000-bed student rooms job

Bouygues will build £400m London School of Economics student scheme next to Tate Modern
19 hours ago

£117m-turnover contractor files administration notice

ARJ Construction lodges court notice
2 days ago

£1bn London Blackfriars tower blocks approved

Trio of buildings rising to 45, 40 and 22 storeys approved by Southwark Council
2 days ago

Council decides to end Balfour deal after 13 years

Contractor has been maintaining roads across Herefordshire since 2013
2 days ago

Six civils clients to switch to low carbon concrete and steel

National Highways, Northumbrian Water and Sellafield sign fresh decarbonising pledge
2 days ago

Fortem extends homes repair deal across Birmingham

Willmott Dixon owned firm adds another two years to deal worth £170m
2 days ago

Kier wins £118m civil service Darlington hub

Work is expected to start towards the end of this year
3 days ago

Green light for 34-storey Digbeth apartments tower

480 flats will be delivered for Clarion housing association
2 days ago

LHC starts race for major retrofit and decarb framework

Hunt starts for firms to help with 6.1m social homes upgrade target
3 days ago

Windows giant Everest crashes into administration

Around 350 jobs at risk while hunt starts for a buyer to salvage business
3 days ago

Green light for £500m Newcastle health complex

Mixed use scheme will promote healthy living across all stages of life
3 days ago

Olympian Homes gets go-ahead for Bristol’s tallest building

Work on student and co-living towers to start this summer
3 days ago

ISG gets nod to start £20m Glamorgan school job

Ysgol y Deri specialist needs school is to built at Cosmeston, near Penarth
3 days ago

Walker Modular lands £5m bathroom pod contract

Specialist to work with Graham and Watkin Jones on major build-to-rent scheme

Banned building boss jailed for fraud

Court hears how disqualified director siphoned off cash from new housing company
3 days ago

Osborne staff start looking for new jobs

"Open to Work" flags appear on LinkedIn profiles
6 days ago

Plan rejected for 42-storey tower above historic building

Councillor describes as ludicrous plan to build 300 flats above Georgian mansion
6 days ago

Ventilation deal could hike product prices for contractors

Watchdogs at CMA launch probe after duct firm acquires rival
6 days ago

Tide gets go-ahead for London 412 student flats scheme

Volumetric developer secures planning for West Ealing project
6 days ago

Green light for £75m Friar Gate Goods Yard in Derby

Construction set to start this summer on revamp of historic buildings
6 days ago

Robertson to deliver £45m Newcastle NHS Trust works

Capital works will be focused on Freeman Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary sites
6 days ago

Winners named for £2bn Healthy Homes framework

CHIC reveals line-up of over 40 firms for net zero and building safety works
6 days ago

Plan lodged for tallest skyscraper outside London

Developer Salboy submits plan for 76-storey Manchester resi tower
7 days ago

Contractor services