AN award-winning data management company, which combines Teesside’s traditional engineering expertise with technology, has secured another multi-million pound contract.

Phusion, which was previously known as Pearson-Harper, is undertaking a six-year £11.5m deal for the Ichthys liquified natural gas (LNG) project off the coast of Western Australia.

It builds on Phusion’s growing portfolio in Australia, where the company is already working on the Chevron Gorgon LNG project.

Phusion works with the developers of oil and gas facilities to build a comprehensive online database of parts and equipment.

Having these details available at the press of a button helps clients to manage their stock levels and to more efficiently maintain plants once they become operational.

Phusion’s team of 85 engineers, project managers and technicians in Billingham, near Stockton, is winning plaudits for helping clients reduce costs and improve their health and safety records.

Last year, it won the Company of the Year and International Business titles at the NOF Energy Awards.

The latest contract will see the firm’s data factory in the North- East manage enormous amounts of engineering information on behalf of the project’s leader Inpex.

Alex Hayward, managing director of Phusion, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, said: “The levels of knowledge in our data factory are incredible. We have staff who have brought years of experience from the local engineering and process sector and people with highly specialised cutting edge skills.

“Being able to offer that level of expertise to support our clients is helping us keep these jobs in the North-East.”

Phusion’s client list includes some of the energy industry’s biggest players, such as Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and Sabic and it delivers contracts at sites around the world.

Ms Hayward hopes that the new deal, as well as potential upcoming contracts to supply projects in the UK, will result in the firm recruiting more skilled staff in the year ahead.

Steve Pearson, executive chairman of Phusion, said: “We are delighted to be announcing this contract for the Ichthys LNG Project.

It brings the current value of our workload in Australia to more than £20m over the next three years.

“We are very proud of becoming recognised around the world as a leader in engineering information management.”