ASCO has formed a joint venture with the Maritime Service Centre IJmond (MSCIJ) Group of Companies in Holland.

The joint venture company will trade as ASCO Holland and will operate from the new outer IJmond Harbour at Ijmuiden. It will provide supply base and marine logistics services to support Dutch Continental shelf drilling and production operations.

ASCO will supply the management experience, processes and systems to complement the local services and infrastructure provided by MSCIJ. It will provide services to the existing Dutch operators and offer a single point of shipment for all products and bulks within IJmuiden.

Walter Robertson, ASCO European managing director, said, "ASCO operates more bases at more locations around the world than any other base operator. This venture adds to our European network of strategically located supply bases capable of supporting offshore activity in all sectors of the North Sea."

Frans Baud, MSCIJ managing director, said, "I am very pleased to be associated with ASCO and look forward to a long and successful relationship offering both new initiatives and choice to Dutch operators."

Billy Allan, ASCO Group chief executive, said, "The Port of IJmuiden has excellent facilities, extensive warehousing and quayside space and offers comparable, if not improved, distribution times to the Dutch offshore supply chain by virtue of both the access to excellent road infrastructure and the oil & gas service companies based nearby. IJmuiden is ideally located, 20 miles from Schiphol Airport."

Tags: ASCO, Maritime Service Centre IJmond