INTERNATIONAL engineer Amec will head a £68m offshore energy project.

The company, which has industrial headquarters in Darlington, will build and install two new bridge-linked oil platforms for the Clair Ridge development, west of Shetland, off the Scottish coast.

About 800 Amec workers will work on the project, which includes new accommodation and drilling facilities, with subsea pipelines tied into existing export systems.

However, a spokesman said workers from Darlington would not be helping on the development.

The platforms are due to be installed in 2015, with production starting in 2016.

Last year, Amec saw revenue rise by £4.2bn, with pre-tax profits rising from £259m to £263m.

Overall profit fell to £217m, with a surge in revenue from oil and gas activity in the Middle-East and Gulf of Mexico boosting performance.