1986 seems a long time ago! It was the year of the first PC virus, Nelson Mandela was still in prison and Ronald Reagan was US president.
It was also the year that the Norwegian side of Viking Moorings was born with Balmoral Norge established in Norway to support the UK-based Balmoral Marine, which had been founded a year earlier in 1985. Both entities were then part of the Balmoral Group with a clear focus on providing specialist marine solutions to the North Sea offshore oil and gas industry.
In 2011, 25 years on, Viking Moorings is a global market leader of total mooring solutions with an operational presence in many corners of the globe and wholly owned offices in Norway, the UK, Australia and Singapore.
Here are just a few milestone moments in the company’s development as we look forward to another 25 years of growth and success.
1985: Balmoral Marine / Viking Moorings is founded as a subsidiary of Balmoral Group.
1986: Balmoral Norge is founded.
1989: Viking provides chain inspection services for the first time.
1990: Viking’s UK office relocates to Balmoral Park in Loirston, Aberdeen.
1996: Viking installs tri-catanery mooring systems (TCMS) on Pierce and Hermod developments in the North Sea – an industry first!
1996: Viking wins Statoil contract for mooring systems deployment on Norne field.
1998: Viking wins contract for the installation of eight mooring systems on Statoil’s Åsgard field.
1998: Viking installs tanker loading system for the Didon field, offshore Tunisia.
1999: Viking opens Kristiansund office in Norway.
2001: Viking installs extended well test facilities for Amerada Hess’s Chestnut field in UK North Sea.
2003: First fibre rope project signed with Odfjell.
2006: Inflexion Private Equity and management buy out Viking from Balmoral Group. Official name change to Viking Moorings.
2006: Viking conducts project for Technip and BP on the Shah-Deniz field, offshore Baku in Azerbaijan.
2007: Viking wins first contract in Australia.
2008: Viking UK moves to the current purpose-built facility in Peterseat, Aberdeen.
2008: Viking deploys deepwater pre-laid mooring solution for rig Noble Homer Ferrington offshore Ivory Coast.
2009: Viking opens Australian office in Perth.
2009: HSBC Private Equity purchases Viking Moorings. Wolfgang Wandl becomes CEO.
2009: Viking opens operational facilities in Alexandria, Egypt and Takoradi, Ghana.
2009: Viking secures first contract offshore Egypt.
2010: Viking establishes representative office in Houston.
Aug 2010: New Stevtrack anchor system and Spin Buoy demonstrated at ONS.
Oct 2010: Viking opens new offices and warehouse facilities in Kristiansund.
Nov 2010: Viking announces partnership agreement with Mainticare Ltd, one of the largest marine and oilfield services contractors in Malta.
Dec 2010: Viking installs a deepwater pre-laid mooring system on behalf of Kosmos Energy in the Teak prospect, offshore Ghana.
Jan 2011: Viking announces exclusive international agency agreement with Seaweld Engineering of Ghana.