Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG), an engineering and fabrication services provider for energy industry, has appointed Fircroft to recruit about 350 contractors to assist in the construction of four gas platforms for the Cygnus gas field project in the southern North Sea.
Under the project, which will run until 2015, about 10,500 tons of fabrication work will be undertaken in Hartlepool.
Cygnus gas field is situated within UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) blocks 44/12a and 44/11a in 23m of water.
The field is operated by GDF Suez, which also owns a 38.75% stake, while Centrica has a 48.75% interest and Bayerngas holds the remaining 12.5%.
In total around £1.4bn will be invested in the Cygnus project, 80% of which is expected to be awarded to UK-based companies, creating 4,000 direct and indirect jobs during the next four years.
A team at Fircroft has already initiated a multi-marketing campaign that includes online activity, placing advertisements in the regional press and holding a series of open days in Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough Football Stadiums, to attract workers from across the region.