Clough JV wins Chinese subsea contract

Engineering and construction company Clough will provide offshore installation support for a Chinese firm after receiving a letter of intent from the company.

The deal, with American joint venture partner Helix Energy Solutions Group, is expected to be signed in the next two weeks for an undisclosed sum.

Clough will provide project management, offshore installation engineering and construction services for Chinese offshore oil engineer COOEC Subsea Technology in the Huizhou field, off Hong Kong.

The field is owned by a consortium that includes Chevron, Texaco and China National Offshore Oil Corporation and is expected to pump and average of 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Clough will use it's subsea contruction hevicle 'Normand Clough' to carry out the work, which includes the installation of loading buoys, anchors and mooring chains at a depth of 115 metres.

Clough chief executive John Smith said the Normand Clough, with her newly installed saturation diving system, is particularly well suited to this type of work.

"The project will provide continuity of work into the 2011/12 financial year," he said.

The work will take at least 120 days with a possible extension and engineering work will begin immediately, with the Norman Clough mobilising before the end of the quarter.