We’re the moorings and fluid transfer specialists.
SOFEC’s mooring systems provide safe, reliable, and innovative solutions for the global offshore energy industry, operating further offshore in deeper waters and in harsher environments than ever before.
Our vision is to be a global leader in mooring solutions.
With integrity and open communication, our diverse team of experts delivers innovative and reliable mooring and fluid transfer systems to our clients while protecting our neighbors and the environment.
While keeping a strong focus on integrity, people, and performance, we design and deliver mooring and fluid transfer systems for the global offshore energy industry on time and on budget.
Our core values guide us in everything we do.
We always protect the lives, health, and dignity of our people, clients, and communities, treating everyone with respect and professionalism. We maintain high ethical standards, doing the right thing consistently while keeping our commitments to quality and delivery.
We strive to hire and retain the most qualified people. We maximize their opportunities for success through development and training. With open communication, collaboration, and a focus on the client, we are committed to providing a fulfilling work environment enriched by diversity.
While we design and deliver safe, reliable, and innovative mooring and fluid transfer systems for the offshore energy industry, we hold ourselves accountable to run safe and environmentally responsible operations
SOFEC recognizes that being a socially responsible member of the community means actively working to support community needs and striving to conduct business sustainably. For more on sustainability, visit our parent company MODEC.
For 50 years, SOFEC (Specialized Offshore Facilities and Engineered Components) evolved from supplying Single Anchor Leg Mooring Systems in the U.S. to a proven and technically advanced supplier of mooring and fluid transfer systems for offshore energy companies, operating all over the world.
Today, SOFEC, a MODEC company, has completed more than 130 global projects, developing highly sophisticated technology with more than 80 worldwide patents. Our technology, primarily designed around the requirements for tanker mooring and fluid transfer facilities, meets the increasingly complex applications and operational conditions of the offshore energy industry. Our exceptional capabilities include predicting loads and motion on floating structures and the ability to design and construct specialty equipment successfully.
Our engineers and designers continue to be experts in the development of environmental forces as well as hydrodynamic, geotechnical, and fluid dynamic analysis and the design of structural, mechanical, and hydraulic systems.
Our team is exceedingly skilled in fabricating and assembling significant structural components as well as heavy precision-machined weldments. Our expertise enables us to transport, install, test, and maintain these systems for offshore energy companies that operate at greater depths and in harsher environments.
In the late 1960s, Standard Oil of New Jersey (“Exxon Corporation”), with assistance from a New York-based engineering company, Van Houten Associates, developed a Single Point Mooring concept known as a Single Anchor Leg Mooring (SALM) and installed two such systems; one in Libya and the other in Okinawa, Japan.
In 1972, Exxon offered to license the technology to interested contractors. A gentleman named Ben Gross (with longtime experience in the valve business) enlisted the support of Van Houten Associates as an outside engineering company, and together they negotiated a license agreement with Exxon and founded Specialized Offshore Facilities and Engineered Components (“SOFEC”). The Company was incorporated in the State of Texas, USA on May 30, 1972, and SOFEC was officially born.
SOFEC’s mission was to supply the Offshore Oil Industry with systems to moor and load/offload tankers. With financial structure and assistance from Texas United and upon the hiring of its first employees, SOFEC successfully executed its first contract in 1973 for the design, fabrication and installation of the world’s deepest (at the time) tanker-loading facility for Esso Malaysia in the South China Sea.
In 1983, SOFEC was acquired by English company, Vickers P.L.C. Soon thereafter, during January 1988, a management group headed by SOFEC’s President, Mr. Bill Kiely, acquired the company from Vickers.
Mr. Kiely and five other Management Executives led and grew the company through many successful projects. In the early 1990s, SOFEC’s success and track record caught the attention of FMC Corporation (“FMC”), who at the time was developing its “oilfield of the future” strategy. In June 1993, amid several other similar acquisitions, FMC purchased 100% of the shares of SOFEC as a key component of its new strategic direction.
By in large, FMC provided corporate-level support, guidance and financial maturity to SOFEC during its ownership period; while at the same time leaving SOFEC’s Management Team in place as well as its unique culture. During these years, SOFEC’s processes and business systems were enhanced and several important projects in the company’s history were delivered, most notably at the time, the Disconnectable Internal Turret System for PetroCanada’s TerraNova FPSO in the Barents Sea and the Sonatrach Project for Algeria which included the provision of five onshore and offshore import/export terminals.
Despite the successes of FMC-SOFEC, FMC’s corporate complexion, strategy and even its name (then “FMC Technologies, Inc., or FTI”) had evolved such that it no longer focused on holding in-house capabilities for an entire field development, from wellhead to refinery; and instead it was primarily focused on its proprietary, manufactured subsea components. As part of this transition, SOFEC’s specialized yet project-based sales model became a better fit with its long-standing and top client, FPSO-provider, MODEC, Inc. of Japan.
Accordingly, 100% of the shares of FMC Technologies Floating Systems, Inc. were acquired by MODEC and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding in early 2007. SOFEC was acquired to enable MODEC to strengthen its competitiveness in the FPSO industry, and also to ensure ongoing access to SOFEC’s patented turret, swivel and mooring technologies. For SOFEC, not only was the company then formally merged with its long-standing client and business partner, but MODEC Management challenged and supported SOFEC in greatly expanding its overall sales volume and non-MODEC client base. The “SOFEC” name was officially returned and SOFEC was reborn.
In its lifetime, SOFEC has completed over 130 global projects and has developed a highly sophisticated technology base with over 80 worldwide patents. This technology has expanded SOFEC’s market from import/export terminals, to advanced permanent mooring solutions for floating production and storage facilities, to Disconnectable Single Point Mooring systems for extreme environments and ultra-deepwater, remote locations.
Many of the key personnel who were involved during SOFEC’s initial and very early years remain active and continue to be associated with SOFEC. This first-class team was a catalyst for the company’s development and was instrumental in SOFEC becoming a global leader in providing turnkey state-of-the-art Single Point Mooring Systems and fluid transfer technology to customers worldwide.
SOFEC’s technology includes exceptional capabilities for the prediction of loads and motions on floating structures and the ability to successfully design and construct specialty equipment to meet an increasingly complex variety of applications and operational conditions.
SOFEC’s engineers and designers continue to be experts in the development of environmental forces, hydrodynamic analysis, structural dynamics, geotechnical analysis and the design of structural, mechanical and hydraulic systems. In addition to these classical engineering capabilities, SOFEC’s team members are exceedingly skilled in the practical requirements imposed by the fabrication and assembly of large structural components and heavy, precision machined weldments. That expertise transfers to the complete spectrum of offshore activities related to transportation, installation, testing and maintenance of these systems in ocean environments.
