IN 2007 it was reported that a Barrow firm had landed an incredible £4m contract to help dismantle an old North Sea oil rig.

The Mail: LEADING: Owen Osmotherley, general manager for Oil States MCS LtdLEADING: Owen Osmotherley, general manager for Oil States MCS Ltd

It was the biggest contract yet for Oil States MCS Ltd, of Bouthwood Road on the Sowerby Woods Industrial Estate, and set a precedent for further contracts to come in.

Oil States MCS Ltd had created 15 extra jobs for skilled design engineers and technicians upon landing the contract.

And at least five more jobs were later created in the following months, which would build up the workforce.

The Mail: WORKING: The largest contract came to Oil States MCS Ltd, of Bouthwood Road on the Sowerby Woods Industrial Estate.WORKING: The largest contract came to Oil States MCS Ltd, of Bouthwood Road on the Sowerby Woods Industrial Estate.

But the general manager Owen Osmotherley believed a further ten jobs could also be generated.

The order was clinched from rivals because the firm has already had other contracts to remove seven smaller platforms in the South China Sea off Brunei, and five smaller platforms in the North Sea.

Up to now most rig removals have been small.

Mr Osmotherley said: “A lot of people in the industry will be watching this. Assuming it is a success, that will the way forward.

The Mail: VISITS: Town Mayor pays a visit to the industrial estate after its recent successVISITS: Town Mayor pays a visit to the industrial estate after its recent success

“Obviously, there are a lot more platforms to come out of the North Sea.

“This is probably the biggest contract of its type which has been handed out. We can’t say the name of the rig or who the work is for at this time, because that is part of the contract.”

The preliminary work involved designing and building remotely operated underwater cutters capable of slicing through the five metre diameter legs of the 17,000-tonne redundant oil rig.

The finished systems cut through using grit and water forced through a small nozzle at ultra-high pressure.

The Mail: DONATE: Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue team member John Leadbetter is pictured (centre) after receiving team leader identification bibs from members of Oil States MCS Ltd in Barrow. They are general manager Owen Osmotherley (left) and accountant Mike DONATE: Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue team member John Leadbetter is pictured (centre) after receiving team leader identification bibs from members of Oil States MCS Ltd in Barrow. They are general manager Owen Osmotherley (left) and accountant Mike

They would be lowered into the sea and clamped around the rig legs with the help of underwater robot vehicles.

Mr Osmotherley said: “We need to build huge pieces of equipment, tools for remote operation underwater. They need to be designed, built and tested before they go offshore.”

Oil States MCS Ltd was formerly the Barrow-founded Hydra Lok.