Boskalis Wins Three Pipeline Contracts

Royal Boskalis Westminster nv has acquired three oil- and gas-related contracts for projects in Europe and the Middle East. The total contract value amounts to approximately € 100 million.

Two contracts are linked to the “Nord Stream” project – the construction of two 1220-kilometer gas pipelines from Russia to Northern Germany through the Baltic Sea.

Boskalis will prepare the seabed for laying the pipelines over the full distance of the Nord Stream pipelines and also execute the shore approach of the pipelines in Germany.

The contract for the preparation of the seabed for the 1220-kilometer double pipeline requires the construction of rock beds and berms using approximately 320000 tonnes of rock to level and stabilize the seabed. The project will be executed in a 50/50 partnership with Tideway and be realized in 2010.

The contract for the shore approach for the double pipeline in Germany requires dredging a 23-kilometer trench for the pipes a pipe-pull over a distance of approximately 800 meters and the backfilling of the dredged trench. A 650-meter cofferdam will be constructed on the waterline to protect the pipeline. The project will be executed in a 50/50 partnership with Rohde Nielsen A/S and will also be realized in 2010.

The third contract comprises the infrastructure including the shore approach for an oil pipeline from the Safaniyah offshore field to the mainland of Saudi Arabia. Boskalis will dredge a seven-kilometer trench and backfill the trench with sand after completing a pipe-pull. The project will be executed in 2009 for Saudi Aramco.

In all three projects Saipem will be the leading contractor. The energy-related offshore activities of Boskalis have shown strong growth over the last few years. Going forward Boskalis sees numerous opportunities for further growth. The company also benefits from the strong safety record it has developed in these types of projects.
The Boskalis strategy is designed to benefit from the key macro-economic drivers that are fueling global demand in the company’s selected markets: the rapid growth in global trade surging energy consumption expanding population pressures and the challenges of climate change.

The Port Rashid project relates to the expanding population pressures and the emergence of a global tourism industry. These offshore projects emphasize the need for infrastructure in order to accommodate the strong demand for energy resources.