IAN McCONNELL

INVERNESS-based Orion Group has announced that it has become the first manpower company in the world to sign a joint venture agreement with China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

The joint venture involves the provision of personnel across CNOOC’s oil, gas and energy-related projects throughout China and the rest of the world.

Orion, which is owned by chairman Alan Savage and his family, said the CNOOC Orion Technical Services Co. joint venture had the capabilities to supply “foreign and local workers with a wide range of expertise”. Mr Savage visited the Chinese city of Tianjin to sign the groundbreaking joint venture deal.

Orion Group made pre-tax profits of £1.5 million on turnover of £339m in its 2015 financial year, a spokesman for the company noted.

Established in 1987, Orion Group has expanded from a small employment agency supplying Highland rig construction yards to a global player providing manpower to several key industry sectors. Oil and gas accounts for about 60 per cent of its business.

Orion Group, which already has a presence in Shanghai, employs more than 300 staff across 57 worldwide locations.

The spokesman said the company planned to increase its contractor personnel in China to more than 200 next year on the back of the joint venture. He said it had already secured more than 20 contractors in China.

Mr Savage said: “This deal marks the beginning of a new phase for Orion Group in China. We already have significant experience in China and the services of our staff in Shanghai are in high demand.

“To become the world’s first manpower supplier to CNOOC is a major milestone. We are looking forward to working with our partners in Tianjin to provide high-quality staff for the many key projects in the CNOOC order book for 2017 and beyond.”