NOIA Member Spotlight
Gulf Island Fabrication (GIF) is a diversified, publicly traded corporation that has grown to be a worldwide leader in the fabrication, maintenance, and servicing of structures, facilities, and vessels for the energy and marine sectors. Operating from its corporate office in Texas and supported by its fabrication and shipyard facilities along the Gulf Coast, Gulf Island is renowned for its dedication to providing superior service and quality products.
While GIF officially was founded in 1985, its history in oil and gas date back to 1947, to when Alden J. “Doc” Laborde began working on one of the first offshore oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico. A perceptive innovator, Doc Laborde designed the first semisubmersible drilling rig and platform support vessels, transforming the offshore oil and gas industry. Years later during the 1985 oil and gas downturn when projects were scarce, Doc purchased a fabrication facility in Louisiana out of bankruptcy and co-founded Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. Quickly establishing itself as an offshore leader, Gulf Island went public in 1997, (NASDAQ:GIFI) and today has grown to possess the largest fabrication capacity in North America.
Gulf Island’s integrated facilities in Louisiana and Texas enable it to provide a wide array of services and construction capabilities for clients around the world. Traditionally, GIF has provided major components of offshore platforms, including jackets or deep-water hulls, offshore piles, topside modules, skids, piping, living quarters, subsea components, and on-site hook-up services.
Recently, however, Gulf Island has adapted to tough market conditions affecting the offshore industry. To this end, GIF has emphasized diversification concerning its fabrication services and is now delivering onshore petrochemical/LNG module fabrication, jackets and piles for offshore renewable energy, pipeline projects, and municipal construction. Moreover, GIF has significantly upgraded its marine fabrication and quick-repair capabilities by acquiring Leevac Shipyards, positioning the company to meet the marine industry’s needs for inshore, offshore, and government-owned vessels. Through these adaptations, Gulf Island not only is safeguarding its position as a leading offshore fabricator, but also asserting itself as the go-to provider for onshore, marine, and renewable fabrication solutions.
Among GIF’s unique fabrication successes are:
- The first Mini-TLP hull
- The first Cell Spar hull
- The first “MinDoc” hull
- The first Classic Spar FPU built in the U.S.
- Largest Jacket in the world
- Largest U.S. flagged offshore lift-vessel
- Foundations for the first U.S. offshore wind farm
Gulf Island has earned its superior reputation by providing integrated and diversified solutions for over 30 years. Whether offshore, onshore, alternative, or marine… Gulf Island delivers. Read more about Gulf Island Fabrication here.
