Sheffield Forgemasters (www.sheffieldforgemasters.com) has won a second contract from Shell for offshore castings.

Its offshore oil and gas division, Vulcan SFM, will deliver 10 riser basket components weighing about 11.5 tonnes each for a semi-submersible platform that will serve Shell’s Vito development in the Gulf of Mexico.

Paul Mockford, design director at Vulcan SFM, said: “We have been fortunate that our expertise in offshore projects — coupled with our long-term relationships with the major oil companies, including Shell — helped us to secure contracts on the first two projects commissioned requiring offshore platforms in more than two years.”

Vulcan SFM will cast the riser baskets at Sheffield Forgemasters’ Brightside Lane foundry, and they will be attached to the hull of the platform, to support the various risers coming up from the sea-bed.

Mr Mockford added: “The components we will supply are open cylinders with an internal profile that provides a bearing surface to directly support the riser.”

The Vito platform is planned to be a 24,000-tonne production unit. The contract for fabrication of the platform has yet to be awarded, but Shell has already started securing suppliers for crucial components.