Babcock Australasia (Babcock), the aerospace and defence company, is pleased to announce that its Offshore Aviation division has been awarded a five year contract with Santos Ltd (Santos) operating from Karratha, Western Australia.

Commencing 1 July 2019, the contract facilitates the provision of two dedicated Leonardo AW139 aircraft to provide crew change, emergency support, 24/7 medevac services with associated personnel and hangar facilities in Karratha.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our exceptional customer service, flexibility and focus on safety to another major Australian oil and gas company,” said Andrew Cridland, Managing Director of Aviation Offshore at Babcock Australasia.

“We are preparing to begin operating on 1 July, and I look forward to seeing Babcock’s AW139s and the talented team who operate them, servicing the transportation and safety needs of Santos.”

The Santos contract adds to Babcock’s steadily growing offshore aviation client base that includes ConocoPhillips Australia, Chevron, PTTEP Australasia, ENI Australia and Woodside Energy Ltd.

Babcock commenced offshore aviation services in Australia in 2013. The division currently operates medium, super medium and heavy category helicopters to service the Oil & Gas industry from Truscott, Barrow Island, Darwin and Timor-Leste.

“In the last year, we’ve announced a diverse range of contract wins across our onshore and offshore aviation businesses, which truly reflects our position as Australia’s leading rotary wing provider for Oil & Gas transportation and Emergency Services,” said Chief Executive Officer Australasia, David Ruff.

“Safely transferring over 10,000 passengers and 30,000 kilograms of freight each year for the Australian Oil & Gas sector is a significant feat for our offshore business, and their record in safety and peerless customer service is why Babcock Offshore is the long-term strategic partner with several major oil and gas companies. I see this contract as the beginning of a new long-term strategic partnership that will support Santos in its future growth and operational excellence,” Ruff said.

The contract adds to Babcock’s wins in onshore aviation, with service extensions for Queensland Health Services and the Australian Border Force announced earlier this year.

Babcock will be exhibiting at the Avalon 2019 Air show between the 26 February and 3 March.

HeliHub.com believes the two AW139s involved were recently freed up through the loss of the Perenco contract in the southern North Sea