AN INTERNATIONAL engineering services firm has strengthened its hold on the oil, gas and process markets by buying one of its rivals.

Amec has bought Wrights Engineering (UK), which provides repair and refurbishment services for bulk storage tanks for the UK refinery market.

Wrights, based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, has an annual turnover of £5m and employs about 130 staff.

The business will be integrated into Amec's shutdown and maintenance division, which is managed from Darlington.

Amec employs more than 700 workers in the town.

Rob Wright, managing director of Wrights, will transfer to Darlington to lead the integration of the business into its new owner.

The acquistion, for an undisclosed sum, is expected to considerably strengthen Amec's large bulk storage tanks services.

Dave Winskill, operations director of Amec's shutdown and maintenance business, said: "Engineering services are a key aspect of Amec's portfolio of added-value work for the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry.

"The acquisition of Wrights is an excellent fit with our existing business and will allow us to provide a more comprehensive and responsive service to our clients."

Overall, Amec generates revenues of £5.5bn and works at the local, national and international levels, employing 50,000 people throughout the UK, continental Europe, North America and 40 countries worldwide.

* Kevin Catterick, who works at Amec in Darlington, has become one of the first people in the country to graduate on a new project management degree course. Mr Catterick, along with ten other students from across the country, has completed an MSc in project management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (Umist). The programme was created after Umist teamed up with a business consortium led by Rolls-Royce which included partners Amec and Goodrich.