Sheffield’s Parker Bestobell secures biggest order ever with new South Korean deal

Parker Bestobell Marine, the Sheffield-based supplier of cryogenic valves, has secured a new order to supply valves to nine vessels, worth $5m.

This contract win is the single biggest order for the company to date.

The contract is with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea to supply cryogenic globe and the vessels are part of a series of 15 liquid natural gas (LNG) carriers destined for the Yamal gas field in Russian Siberia.

Parker Bestobell Marine has already secured orders for the other six vessels.

Duncan Gaskin, market development manager at Parker Bestobell Marine, said: “The fact that our valves have been specified for such a large and prestigious project is testament to the quality of manufacture and design, as well as the long term, reliable performance in the field.

“As these valves will have to operate in extreme environments, we will be taking some innovative steps to modify the design of the valves to suit the conditions. “

Duncan continued: “DSME put their faith in Parker Bestobell Marine when they first specified our valves for vessels on the Yamal project three years ago and this new contract now means we will enjoy a five year ongoing relationship with the company.”

The ships are designed specifically for the LNG Yamal project in Russian Siberia. The 15 Arc7 ice-class gas carriers will operate in Arctic conditions, with temperatures as low as -54°C.

They will be required to independently navigate ice more than two metres thick in a region that is ice-bound for up to nine months of the year. Here, more than 200 wells will be drilled to extract LNG, which offers an annual capacity of 5.5m tonnes, in the largest and most complex project of its type.

Each of the 15 icebreaker vessels has a capacity of 170,000 cubic metres and will ship LNG to the international markets.

Parker Bestobell Marine manufactures LNG cryogenic valves and supplies its cryogenic globe and check valves for many applications including cargo handling, re-gasification, re-liquefaction, compression, storage, transfer and in fuel gas systems.