About Us

Who We Are

Bardex is a world leader in heavy lifting and positioning systems via our products and engineered solutions based on our patented Chain Jack & Gripper Jack technologies.

Our solutions are offered in the following target markets:

  • Offshore Drilling Platforms (Skidding, Leveling & Restraining Systems)
  • Floating Production Units (Mooring & Riser Pull-in Systems), and
  • Shipyards (Shiplift/Transfer Systems)

Mission Statement

Continuously exceed our commitment for Value, Technical Leadership, and On Time Performance.

Vision Statement

To become our clients’ most valuable supplier.

Where We Are

Bardex Corporation is a privately owned company headquartered in Goleta, California, U.S.A., near Santa Barbara (approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles). The company maintains engineering, sales, and lifecycle services departments in California; manufacturing and quality departments at our affiliated Bardex Industries in Gimhae, South Korea, and a sales office in Houston, Texas. Bardex maintains Sales Representatives in many countries around the world.

What We Do Best

Bardex is a full service company offering products, systems and services with emphasis on providing integrated solutions for our clients to optimize your application requirements for cost, space and weight control.

Bardex staff includes technical personnel with an extensive pool of experience and expertise in heavy load handling and positioning technologies. They possess acknowledged records of achievements in their respective specialties and many of them have offshore experience in the world’s major Oil & Gas Offshore theaters such as the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, West Africa, Asia/Pacific, Brazil and other key Offshore E&P development areas.

Our activities cover the full asset Lifecycle Support spectrum from conceptual design, through analysis, planning and design, manufacturing, packing and delivery; including field engineering services for supervision of commissioning, start-up and maintenance; and the supply of replacement parts and assemblies for the specialized mechanical and hydraulic machinery.

The company’s Quality Management System is ISO-9001 registered.

History

For over six decades, Bardex Corporation has specialized in heavy load handling and positioning equipment and solutions. We have a long and distinguished history of providing cost effective solutions to heavy load management problems in the Offshore Drilling and Floating Production markets as well as Shipyard solutions for both new and maintenance/repair. With innovative and patented technologies developed internally by Bardex since the 1960’s.

In 1963, Bardex Corporation (then known as Hydranautics) invented the combined hydraulic friction lock/double acting jacking cylinder assembly and named it the “Gripper-Jack”. This initiated the Bardex tradition of development and innovation in heavy load handling and positioning that today encompasses a wide variety of certifying agency-approved products including Chain Jack based systems. Bardex heavy load handling systems such as Skidding system, Leveling systems, Seismic & Hurricane restraint systems, mooring systems and Riser Pull-in systems which are installed on a number of fixed platforms, jack-ups, semi-submersibles, tension leg platforms, FPSOs, Deep Draft Caisson Vessels (SPARs/DDCV’s) located around the world.

Bardex Timeline of Significant Events:

 

1960s

  • Hydranautics Hydraulic Systems, our original founding company, was incorporated.
  • Hydraulic Gripper Jack designed and patented as rig derrick skidding & positioning systems.
  • Our first Chain Jack shiplift system was delivered to Emaq in Rio de Janeiro in 1967.

1970s

  • Double Chain Jack and Single Chain Jack were patented for use in shipyard shiplift systems and other lifting systems.
  • Heavy load handling systems were used on almost all of the multi-well fixed drilling platforms located on the Northwest European Continental Shelf. Over 80 rig skidding systems and a comparable number of hydraulic power units in the North Sea were delivered.
  • 1st Gripper Jacks installed in the North Sea.
  • 1st offshore skidding system was installed on the BP Forties Platform in the North Sea.
  • The first rig skidding system to operate on curved skid rails was delivered to Astano.
  • Designed and manufactured a jacket load-out and launch system to accommodate the largest barge borne steel structures. Camel Laird-Scotland.

1980s

  • Rebranded Hydranautics Hydraulic Systems to Bardex Corporation following the sale of affiliate company Hydranautics Water Systems to Rohm and Haas.
  • Design and manufacture of the BOP & Riser handling systems for the world’s first center caisson semi-submersible. 

1990s

  • Designed and manufactured the first SCR (Steel Catenary Riser) & pipe-line pull-in system for Shell Auger (GoM) and TLP tendon top tensioning systems using Chain Jacks.
  • Designed & manufactured the first Chain Jack Mooring systems for SOFEC JHN Lufeng 13-1 (China) single point mooring system.
  • Designed and manufactured the first chain jack mooring system for Spars and Deep Draft Caisson Vessels. 
  • Designed, patented & trademarked the BarLatch™ Underwater Fairlead Chain Stopper system.
  • Designed and manufactured the Petronius Compliant Tower leveling system operating in 1500 feet water depth. 
  • Obtained our original ISO 9001 certification.

2000s

  • Designed and manufactured of the world’s largest rig skidding system for Mad Dog.

2010s

  • Invented Dual Chain Handling Chain Wheel for reducing costs and weight associated with chain handling on mooring systems.
  • Designed & patented the mooring chain connecting link used in mooring systems.
  • Developed & patented our Off Vessel Tensioning (OVT) mooring method based on the field-proven Barlatch™ Underwater Fairlead Chain Stopper. This system eliminates topsides equipment – saving space and weight, minimizing costs of ownership, &  allowing clients to optimize hull design & process equipment.
  • Bardex Industries (Gimhae, South Korea) established. 

2020s

  • Continuing a flawless safety record for all of the company’s shiplift systems since 1967.
  • Partnered with Matiere for design and manufacture of the 4,300 Te Atlas Megayacht Shiplift for La Ciotat Shipyards (La Ciotat, France), with delivery slated for 2022.
  • Bardex Industries moved from Gimhae to a new, larger facility in Busan, Korea.
  • Bardex’s patented OVT method was used for the first time to moor the King’s Quay FPS
  • Continued our mission of continuous improvement by becoming Certified to the ISO 45001 Environmental Management System and ISO 14001 Occupational Health & Safety Management System standards.