AN independent engineering consultancy is looking to increase its turnover by 50% as it moves into premises three time the size of its current facilities.

Newcastle-based Macaw Engineering will move from its current facility in Gosforth Business Park to a 9,000sq ft office at Quorum Business Park, Newcastle, at the end of the month after benefiting from the booming offshore oil and gas sector in which the vast majority of its work is based.

The firm acts as a consultant for global oil and gas production facilities, pipelines and the safety of pipeline systems – known as integrity management – and works closely with global operators to reduce risk.

With its new offices including enough space for 100 staff, the firm is now looking to increase its workforce from 55 to 70 over the next three years, as it continues to increase its share of the worldwide oil and gas market.

The company, which was set up in 1996, said it was also aiming to increase its turnover from £4m to £6m over the next three years, with scope for additional jobs if it outperformed its expectations.

Macaw Engineering general manager Dr John Healy said: “This is a very exciting time in the growth of Macaw with a real pick-up in new business and a growth in staff, together with a move to a much larger new office at Quorum.”

Services provided by the firm include soil resistivity and corrosion assessment, paint and coating inspection and failure investigations.

The company, which handles work for clients across the globe, said it was now looking to increase its domestic sales within the UK’s onshore oil and gas sector, which has seen an upturn in the last year.