Aberdeen engineering firm AquaTerra Group is closing in on 80 offshore deployments of its AquaShim stabilisation technology — a milestone that reflects the sector’s enduring demand for engineering solutions that can keep ageing infrastructure operational for longer.
The achievement, first reported by Silicon Scotland, is a reminder that the offshore environment has always been one of the most technically demanding in the world. Platforms operating in the North Sea rely on a constant pipeline of specialist innovation to manage wear, reduce intervention costs, and extend the productive life of assets that represent decades of investment.
AquaTerra’s AquaShim system, developed from 2017 and first installed offshore in 2019, was designed specifically to tackle splash zone stabilisation — an area where traditional rigid shimming approaches have long struggled to cope with the constant structural movement of offshore platforms. By distributing load more effectively and accommodating that movement, the system reduces wear between conductors and guides, one of the key sources of ongoing maintenance expenditure.
Kevin Nelson, Technical Manager at AquaTerra, said the numbers speak to real-world impact rather than simply commercial growth: “Reaching close to 80 installations is a significant milestone for AquaShim and reflects the confidence operators have in the solution. What’s particularly important is that this isn’t just about deployment numbers — it’s about the consistent results we’re seeing in the field.”
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Deployments have included high-profile North Sea assets such as Piper Bravo and Claymore, where conventional centralisation systems had previously failed to deliver lasting results. In both cases, AquaShim provided stable, long-term performance without the need for repeated maintenance intervention.
For Aberdeen’s engineering community, the story is a reminder that home-grown technology continues to find traction at scale across the global offshore market. AquaTerra, founded in the city in 2004, has built its reputation on practical problem-solving — and AquaShim’s growing deployment record suggests that approach is resonating with operators focused on maximising value from existing assets.
The company says the system will continue to evolve as further installations generate new operational data and insight from the field.
