The UK based Sparrows Group has secured a multi-million dollar contract with India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for the refurbishment of 21 cranes.
The project which will safely extend the life of the cranes for a further 15 to 20 years will see the company refurbish, repair, upgrade or replace all components and machinery. To reduce time and cost, refurbishment of each crane is being undertaken on-site, with any major boom works being carried out at Sparrows’ workshop facility in Mumbai.
The contract will utilise all of Sparrows’ in-house engineering disciplines including their structural, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, automation and control, and reliability teams.
Stewart Mitchell, CEO of the Sparrows Group commented: “As the original equipment manufacturer for over 100 of the cranes in ONGC’s fleet we look forward to starting this work which will ensure safety and reliability for a number of years to come.
“Cranes are a critical piece of equipment to any operation and ONGC’s decision to start this refurbishment programme is testament to their ongoing commitment to safety and performance.
“India continues to be an area of growth for Sparrows and we have established a good track record in the region. We have a strong engineering capability at our base in Mumbai and our ability to carry out the work locally has been crucial to us being awarded this work.”
All spare parts required for the project, including any new booms, will be manufactured at Sparrows’ dedicated facility in Houston, US. Once final testing has taken place each crane will be recertified to the relevant industry standards.
Work is due to commence this month with completion expected by March 2020.
Earlier this year, a consortium led by ONGC Videsh, ONGC’s overseas arm, paid $600mn for a 10% stake in ADNOC’s Lower Zakum offshore field as the Indian firm extended its footprint in the MENA region.
