TWO County Durham engineering companies are to play a vital role in one of the world's most challenging deep-water oil and gas production projects.

Solatron ISA, of Shildon, will be responsible for design and manufacturing, while the Bishop Auckland Advantica Technologies test facility will carry out vital tests on subsea gas metering equipment for use in the 88 kilometre Canyon Express pipeline system.

The system, due to come on line in 2002, will link and allow the development of three deepwater natural gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico, 120 miles of the US coast.

The project is the first initiative to jointly develop the three gas fields operated by TotalFinaElf, BP and Marathon.

For the Canyon Express project, Solatron ISA has produced ten subsea flowmeters, capable of operating in water depths up to 3,000 metres.

The challenge for Advantica was to verify their accuracy and then to calibrate each of the 12 differential pressure transmitters in each meter.

Advantica's project engineer, David Pearson, said: "There are very few facilities in the UK that can accommodate this kind of work, but because of our unique facility here and the close working relationship we have built up with Solatron ISA, the project has gone very well and within deadline.

"Although a larger contract than usual, it is typical of the work we do in the laboratory."

Solatron ISA, is a world leader in the design and manufacture of flow measurement and temperature devices for the oil and gas, process and power generation industries.

Engineering manager Steve Clark said: "For 30 years we have been developing increasingly sophisticated equipment to measure flow and temperature.

"With Advantica's Bishop Auckland test facility right on our doorstep we are able to test and calibrate our equipment very quickly which has obvious commercial advantages in our highly competitive market."