Sparrows to build cranes for Qatargas’ North Field expansion project

Equipment and integrated engineering services company Sparrows Group has secured a contract to manufacture three cranes for Qatargas’ North Field expansion project.

Sparrows said on Wednesday that the contract was awarded through engineering firm McDermott.

Under the deal,  Sparrows will deliver two of its EC750 cranes for installation on wellhead platforms, as well as an EC1000 crane for a riser platform.

North Field is the world’s biggest single non-associated natural gas field, located offshore north-east Qatar peninsula.

The field has recoverable reserves of more than 900 trillion standard cubic feet or approximately 10 percent of the world’s known reserves. The expansion project includes the development of four new LNG trains and eight wellhead platforms, where 80 new wells will be drilled.

The cranes, which will be manufactured to API specifications, are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. On delivery to Indonesia, where the platform topsides are currently being constructed, Sparrows will oversee the installation and commissioning of the cranes.

Once on-location in the North Field, Sparrows’ local team in Qatar will support the continued operation of the cranes. Spare parts will be stored locally, ensuring future maintenance work can be carried out efficiently.

Stewart Mitchell, Sparrows CEO, said: “We have a strong presence in Qatar and our ability to provide ongoing support in-country for safety-critical equipment was a key factor in us securing this project.

“The North Field expansion is a key project for the Middle East and will see LNG production capacity increase by 43 percent upon completion. We’re excited to be part of this key development in Qatar and look forward to working closely with Qatargas and McDermott.”

It is worth reminding that Qatargas put McDermott in charge of the expansion of North Field facilities back in April 2019. The contract included the full suite of EPCI services for eight new offshore jackets.

McDermott also won a front end engineering design contract for the North Field Expansion Project’s offshore pipelines and topsides facilities in May of the same year.

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