Minister for Business Fergus Ewing has broken ground on a new £4 million testing facility created by oil and gas supply chain firm Sonomatic in Aberdeen.

The overall investment will maintain 50 jobs within the construction industry to build the facility.

It is likely to create around 15 full time jobs in the short term with a predicted 70 full-time jobs in the longer term.

Sonomatic is a market leader in the development and provision of automated non-destructive (NDT) ultrasonic inspection and related integrity services for the oil and gas, power generation and defence sectors.

Sonomatic’s direct investment in the NDT and Rope Access facility is in excess of £4 million, including the land, building and fit-out costs.

Mr Ewing said:“While it is clear that the oil and gas industry faces severe challenges from a low global oil price, today’s investment from Sonomatic underlines the many opportunities which remain through our world class supply chain and I look forward to seeing this exciting project develop.

“Earlier today, the oil and gas industry leadership group – of which I am co-chair – published a refreshed oil and gas strategy offering a shared path for industry, governments and the Oil and Gas Authority to follow in working together to support the industry and its world class supply chain.”