Bristow Helicopters has expanded its offshore services capability in Norway after expanding its 49 per cent stake in Norsk Helikopter to 100 per cent ownership. Norsk Helikopter will now operate as Bristow Norway AS based at Stavanger airport, Sola.

Richard Burman, md Bristow Helicopters, says: "Bristow Norway will continue to develop the local experience and expertise that has been established through Norsk Helikopter over the last 15 years. We are currently using our global operational experience to focus on the opportunities for Bristow in the Norwegian oil and gas sector."

Bristow has now fully bought out the previous owners, the Ugland family of Grimstad. Norsk was established in 1993 and, under the Bristow name, will continue to operate as a Norwegian company with Leif Overskott as the country's area manager. Bristow Norway AS has bases in Stavanger, Bergen, Bronnoysund and Hammerfest and provides offshore helicopter transport and search and rescue services to clients in the energy sector, including StatoilHydro, ConocoPhillips, BP Norge, Talisman Energy Norge, Aker Exploration and Eni Norge. The company also provides offshore services for several other companies in the Norwegian energy market.

Separately Bristow Helicopters will provide helicopter support for CNR International (UK) Ltd, flying workers to and from the central North Sea's Tiffany platform located 150 miles north east of Aberdeen. The contract will run for three years, with two further one-year options, using Bristow's fleet of new, high technology EC225 helicopters. Bristow previously held the contract up to 2004. John Cloggie, Bristow's director of European operations in Aberdeen, says: "The advantage of the EC225 is that the extra payload offers clients a more cost effective means of transporting staff." The company invested more than #70 million in a fleet of new Sikorsky S-92s based in Scatsta, Shetland, and has also announced the establishment of a Bristow training academy.