Aker Solutions has inked a contract for over three years to provide support services for Total and Dong Energy’s new Shetland gas plant.

The Norwegian contractor said up to 150 new jobs will be created in the UK as a result of the deal which could run for over five years.

The operations and maintenance contract is valid for three and a half years but there are also two one-year options in place. No contract value was given.

The gas plant is being built to receive gas from the Laggan and Tormore fields in the West of Shetland area.

Most current West of Shetland gas discoveries will be tied back to the Total-operated Laggan-Tormore project, which is due on stream in mid-2014, although operators are facing challenges in attuning their timing to available capacity and to the specifications of the gas export pipeline to and from the Shetland Islands and the gas processing plant on the islands.

Total hit delays in the pipelay operation at the landmark project earlier this year but insisted there would be no impact on the over project schedule.

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