The shackle was required urgently for load testing of a 600t draw works at a CNOOC site, used to raise and lower the umbilical hose in an FPSO. A 50% safety allowance was also required. Whilst limited demand for such a product meant that projected lead times for building one were in the region of 10–12 weeks, Scotload was able to supply one from its existing stock within a few days.

Scotload’s in-house test machines also allows calibrations to be carried out on-site, further reducing lead times. The company also has key partnerships with testing houses in the UK, allowing Scotload to supply products quickly with complete calibration certification, traceable to UK national standards, within days.

The shackle was supplied by Trusland Offshore Services, Scotload’s distributor in China. Paul Yan, general manager at Trusland, said: “Trusland Offshore Services Limited and Scotload were able to supply an uncommon size of load shackle from stock, ensuring the customer received the shackle quickly which was vital for the success of their testing. This is further evidence of the benefit of the close partnership between the two companies.”

Josh Jones at Scotload added: “We were delighted to be able to support our key distributor with this urgent requirement. In this instance we were able to source and supply a highly specialist, heavy duty piece of equipment at very short notice. I doubt there are many companies in the sector that could have matched this turnaround.”