engineering company Whessoe Oil and Gas has secured a £185m joint deal to build a gas terminal, creating about 20 jobs for the region.

The company, based in Darlington, has entered into partnership with Dutch company Volker Stevin for the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the Milford Haven Importation Terminal, in Wales. Preparation work is already under way, with perm-anent work due to start early next year.

The contract will result in a number of jobs in Wales, as well as the 20 in Darlington.

Jon Dale, Whessoe managing director, said: "This is fantastic news. We have seen our business grow in Darlington from 65 staff three years ago to about 230 today, so we are continually moving forward."

The project continues Whessoe's 40-year history in engineering and construction of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) facilities in the UK.

The project, one of only a handful of complete LNG terminals to be built in the UK for 40 years, comprises tanks, jetty and process areas