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Flexiport was born out of the tough and technically innovative environment of the North Sea oil and gas industry. In the early 1970's extensive oil and gas reserves were discovered in the North Sea. In order to develop these reserves oil companies, drilling companies and naval architects faced the challenge of developing safe and efficient offshore equipment capable of operating in one of the world's harshest environments. |
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| Flexiport basically uses floating pontoons as quay frontage for port operations with various types of connections to shore. The system, in its suitable application, gives the advantage of reducing port construction time by up to 60% and cost reductions of a similar magnitude. The system also offers the benefit of minimising disruption to the environment and can offer considerable advantages over conventional ports by minimising or even eradicating the costly and environmentally damaging practice of dredging. The 'Flexiport' concept was developed in the 1970's by Mr Kjell Eriksen, a Naval Architect, mainly for use as a temporary facility to relieve congested ports. The first patent was granted to Mr Eriksen in January 1977, and a number of proposals were made to various authorities around the world on a consultancy basis. In the early 1980's a Licence Agreement was reached between the inventor and ITM (Offshore) Ltd., a leader in the fabrication of offshore facilities, to market the Flexiport system throughout the world. In 1983, in competition with 30 other international companies, that company was awarded a contract to install floating port facilities in the Falkland Islands utilising the Flexiport System, for the British Ministry of Defence. (A more detailed description of this project and its successful completion can be found under the Falklands Story). However, mainly due to the decline in the oil industry during 1985/86, the ITM group of companies became financially unstable. Therefore the Licensor/Inventor, Mr Kjell Eriksen, participated in the formation of a new company, Flexiport (UK) Ltd., to act as the operational company and to continue the worldwide sales drive for the Flexiport System. In 2003 Flexiport entered a joint marketing and technical support agreement with the ASP Group of Companies with a view to extending the company's international exposure and its product development programme worldwide. Flexiport can now offer a full turn key solution to clients including site survey, project development, technical and logistical planning, operational support in the short, medium and long term and financial solutions in the form of short, medium and long term lease and hire purchase agreements. |
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