Oil and Gas Sector Powers Jobs Boost in North-East

23 January 2012

Flourishing oil and gas services firms are winning new contracts and hiring more staff in Aberdeen.

Heavy industry recruitment specialist Orion Group has boosted annual income by £20 million with two new contracts in the offshore sector with Canadian-based Nexen Petroleum.

Proserv, an energy production technology services group, today announced it is set to create more than 130 jobs after reporting a 17 per cent increase in turnover to £113m.

Steve Greig, associate director of Inverness-based Orion, said the deals would have an "immediate impact” on the group and would see the firm provide some 140 workers to the sector over the coming years.

Established by chairman Alan Savage in 1987, Orion supplied roughly 5,000 personnel last year into the energy, aerospace, rail, construction, telecoms and mining sectors.

Proserv said 40 to 50 of the new jobs would be added in Aberdeen city and shire. In July, Proserv announced the completion of a new £72m financing arrangement which merged five companies under its brand, including Proserv Technology, Proserv Offshore, Hydrafit Subsea, all located in Aberdeenshire, and Houston-based Gilmore Valve and Argus Subsea.

Proserv operates in the UK, USA, Scandinavia, Middle East, Far East, Africa and Australia.