EnQuest will have a new North Sea base in the Granite City after planning permission was granted for an office development on the derelict Aberdeen Seafood Park site in the harbor area.
The firm, which is a U.K. independent oil producer in the U.K. North Sea, currently employs around 500 people at two locations in Aberdeen. The new building will have the capacity to accommodate up to 800 people and will enable EnQuest to consolidate its workforce under one roof.
David Heslop, EnQuest’s Managing Director UKCS, said, “EnQuest has enjoyed considerable growth since it was established in 2010 and we have been looking at opportunities to relocate from our current sites to larger, bespoke facilities in Aberdeen for some time, reaffirming the city’s status as our center of operational excellence. Our chief aim was to secure a head-quarter building in the city center which reinforces EnQuest’s long-term commitment to Aberdeen and the North Sea.”
The site, which is bounded by Palmerston Road, Raik Road, Poynernook Road and Stell Road will cover approximately 120,000 sq ft over eight storeys and will provide associated car parking on site in an adjoining building.
Graeme Bone, Director of the Drum Property Group, EnQuest’s partner in the project commented, “This purpose made solution for EnQuest will support the company’s continued expansion plans. It will also lead to the physical regeneration of a rundown part of the city and in addition act as a catalyst in generating additional long term activity for the harbor area and Aberdeen in general.”
Building work is expected to commence at the end of September 2013 and be complete by the end of 2014, with a proposed relocation for EnQuest in the first quarter of 2015.