Falcon Global wins major contracts

A Norfolk business has won two major contracts to help build a huge gas production facility in Nigeria and a power station in Hong Kong. Falcon Global, based in Norwich, has developed a sophisticated computer programme which is being used by some of the biggest names in the energy industry.

The programme, called Pathmaker, creates a model of the plant or facility being built and then keeps a record of all components used in the construction, from valves to sections of pipeline. It allows companies to plan their construction work more systematically and enables the regulatory authorities to see that each component was tested before being installed.

Shell has bought a licence from Falcon Global for Pathmaker to use in the building of a huge gas facility at Gbaran-Ubie in Nigeria. The complex, which will include a power station for the Nigerian government as well as nine production facilities, is one of Shell's most important new projects. Shell starts work on the site in January, with the facilities expected to be completed in the middle of 2008.