Thunder Cranes
Thunder Cranes is a Malaysian-headquartered provider of portable-modular offshore rental cranes and specialized lifting solutions, operating the world's largest such fleet to serve oil and gas operators across platforms, FPSOs, well intervention, and plug-and-abandonment projects in eight countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLabuan, Malaysia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Thunder Cranes does
Thunder Cranes Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian-headquartered, privately held provider of portable-modular offshore rental cranes and specialized lifting solutions for the global oil and gas industry. Founded in 1995 in Labuan, Malaysia, the company operates what it describes as the world's largest fleet of portable-modular offshore rental cranes, with active operations in at least eight countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, UAE, India, Angola) and approximately 150 employees as of 2019. Its core technology is a portfolio of API 2C-compliant pedestal, stiff-leg, and portable modular cranes (TC05, TC20, TC70, TC90 series) featuring proprietary self-lifting capability via an A-frame jib and a clamp & stud-bolt tie-down system that allows deployment on crane-less platforms without welding, supported by Zone 2 certified diesel powerpacks for hazardous environments.
The company's commercial offering spans three streams: day-rate and project-based rental of modular cranes with operators and onshore engineering support, customized engineered lifting solutions (FPSO lifting, flare tip replacement, crane changeouts, helideck skidding, complex rigging), and third-party lift-planning documentation services. Revenue is generated through enterprise contracts with major international and national oil companies, won through competitive tendering and direct executive-led sales engagement. The company maintains long-term framework agreements with PETRONAS Carigali (multi-year Malaysia well intervention contract), Chevron (3-year Gulf of Thailand P&A program covering approximately 3,000 wells), Shell, Halliburton, Mubadala Petroleum, PTTEP, Dubai Petroleum, Sonangol, and Weatherford, among others.
Thunder Cranes' go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting IOC/NOC asset teams, supplemented by industry event participation (ADIPEC, IPTC), technical content marketing, and reference-grade case studies demonstrating safety performance (1.7 million+ LTI-free manhours across 5,000+ days; >100,000 offshore lifts completed). The company is ISO 9001/14001/45001 certified across its Malaysian and Thai entities, and its cranes are operated to API 2C and API RP 2D standards, anchoring its credibility for offshore hazardous-environment deployment.
Thunder Cranes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thunder Cranes
- Legal name
- Thunder Cranes Sdn. Bhd.
- Website
- https://thundercranes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Thunder Cranes is a Malaysian-headquartered provider of portable-modular offshore rental cranes and specialized lifting solutions, operating the world's largest such fleet to serve oil and gas operators across platforms, FPSOs, well intervention, and plug-and-abandonment projects in eight countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thunder Cranes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Offshore Crane Rental & Lifting Services
- NAICS
- Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)
- SIC
- Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD)
Keywords
Where Thunder Cranes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Labuan
- HQ country
- Malaysia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices10 records
Markets served
Thunder Cranes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Crane Equipment Rental: Rental of portable-modular offshore cranes (TC05, TC20, TC70, TC90 series) with operators and onshore engineering/maintenance support. Revenue generated from day rates or project-based rental contracts.
- Specialized Lifting Solutions: Customized lifting solutions including complex rigging, flare tip replacement, crane changeouts, helideck skidding, FPSO project support. Engineering and project management services.
- Lift Planning Services: Third-party lifting plan preparation services with technical documentation for safe and efficient lifting activities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Thunder Cranes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thunder Cranes rents portable-modular offshore cranes (TC05, TC20, TC70, TC90 series) and provides specialized lifting solutions for offshore oil and gas platforms and FPSO vessels. The company operates the world's largest fleet of offshore portable-modular rental cranes, deploying them along with operators, engineering, and project management crews for platform crane changeouts, FPSO lifting, flare tip replacement, well intervention support, and plug and abandonment campaigns across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India, and Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Portable Modular Crane Rental Rental of portable-modular offshore cranes (TC05, TC20, TC70, TC90 series) with self-lifting capability for deployment on crane-less offshore oil and gas platforms and FPSO vessels. Includes API 2C compliant cranes, Zone 2 certified powerpacks, operators, and onshore engineering/maintenance support. Targeted at oil and gas operators and oilfield services contractors requiring offshore lifting on fixed platforms and FPSOs.
- Stiff Leg Crane Rental Rental of stiff leg cranes for offshore lifting applications where vertical lift geometry is required. Targeted at offshore oil and gas operators requiring high-capacity static lifting on platforms.
- Pedestal Crane Rental Rental of pedestal-mounted offshore cranes built to API 2C specification. Targeted at offshore oil and gas operators requiring fixed-position pedestal cranes with full API compliance.
- Lifting Solutions on FPSO Specialized lifting solutions for FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) vessels, including module installation, flare tip replacement, and operations beyond the reach of FPSO-installed cranes. Targeted at FPSO operators and offshore production companies.
- Flare Tip Replacement Specialized service for replacement of flare tips on offshore platforms using portable-modular cranes with precision lifting capability. Targeted at offshore oil and gas operators requiring flare tip maintenance on fixed platforms.
- Complex Rigging & Lifting Solutions Customized complex rigging and lifting solutions including crane changeouts, helideck skidding, motor removal, and customized extension beam and trolley systems for space-constrained or challenging offshore environments. Targeted at offshore operators requiring engineered lifting solutions for non-standard projects.
- Lift Planning Services Third-party lifting plan preparation services with technical documentation for safe and efficient offshore lifting activities. Targeted at offshore operators and oilfield services companies needing certified lift planning.
Quantifiable outcome
- Rapid deployment: rigs up within 12-18 working hours including load test
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Thunder Cranes
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Thunder Cranes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Thunder Cranes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PETRONAS CarigalicoreMulti-year contract for provision of offshore rental crane services across PCSB assets in Malaysia. Thunder Cranes delivers modular cranes, equipment including power pack, skidding systems, and experienced operating crews for well intervention activities.
- Chevroncore3-year contract supporting plug and abandonment projects in Gulf of Thailand for approximately 3000 wells. Thunder Cranes adding 3 new TC90XL cranes to fleet. One of only four providers of self-lifting offshore cranes globally.
- NPE (New Partner Energy)corePartnership for Angola operations including motor removal project on COB-P1 platform. NPE designed customized extension beam and trolley system for complex lifting operations.
- ESCO (Emirates Specialized Contracting & Oilfield Services)minorMiddle East partnership for ADIPEC exhibition and market presence. ESCO hosts Thunder Cranes at their pavilion at industry events.
- Appleton MarineminorPartnership for building TC90 cranes in the USA. Appleton Marine manufactures crane components for Thunder Cranes portable modular crane fleet.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Thunder Cranes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cargotec: Cargotec is the Finnish parent of MacGregor and Hiab, providing marine cargo handling, offshore load handling, and on-road load handling. It is a broad incumbent in lifting equipment and the parent of the most directly analogous marine/ocean crane peer.
- MacGregor (Cargotec): MacGregor is a Cargotec subsidiary specializing in marine load handling, offshore cranes, and mooring systems for ships, ports, and offshore units. It's a broader portfolio incumbent covering vessel-mounted cranes and offshore load handling that overlaps with Thunder Cranes' platform-lift niche.
- Konecranes: Konecranes is a Finnish leader in lifting equipment and port/industrial cranes with a service-heavy business model that includes rental. While primarily port and industrial-focused, it overlaps with Thunder Cranes in heavy lifting and equipment-as-a-service.
- National Oilwell Varco (NOV): NOV is the largest OFS equipment manufacturer with sub-systems for drilling, production, and marine lifting. It competes across offshore lifting through its Rig Technologies and Marine segments, making it a broad incumbent adjacent to Thunder Cranes' services.
Direct peers
- Palfinger: Palfinger is an Austria-headquartered global crane, lifting, and handling-solutions company with marine and offshore crane offerings, including knuckle-boom and stiff-boom marine cranes. Comparable in product category (offshore lifting solutions) and broader portfolio.
- Huisman: Huisman is a Dutch manufacturer of offshore cranes, heavy-lift equipment, and wind turbine installation tools. Like Thunder Cranes, it targets offshore O&G and increasingly offshore wind, with similar API-spec crane systems and modular architectures.
- Hawboldt Industries: Hawboldt is a Canadian manufacturer of API 2C marine and offshore cranes, winches, and steering gear for the offshore oil and gas industry. Comparable in pedestal/offshore crane design and API-spec compliance.
- Liebherr (Liebherr-MCCtec / RMD): Liebherr's marine and offshore crane division (formerly Liebherr-MCCtec, Rostock) designs and supplies offshore pedestal, fixed, and knuckle-boom cranes for platforms and vessels. It competes directly in the offshore modular/heavy-lift crane space, albeit with manufacturing rather than pure-rental focus.
- Seatrax: Seatrax is a US-based designer and manufacturer of offshore API 2C-compliant cranes for the oil & gas industry. Direct overlap with Thunder Cranes in pedestal-mounted, marine/offshore pedestal cranes for platform installation.
Others
- Appleton Marine: Appleton Marine is a US-based manufacturer of marine and offshore cranes and the OEM partner manufacturing TC90 components for Thunder Cranes' fleet. Adjacent supplier relationship with overlapping product domain (offshore pedestal cranes).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thunder Cranes social profiles
Digital presenceThunder Cranes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thunder Cranes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Thunder Cranes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Thunder Cranes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thunder Cranes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Thunder Cranes
What does Thunder Cranes do?
Thunder Cranes rents portable-modular offshore cranes (TC05, TC20, TC70, TC90 series) and provides specialized lifting solutions for offshore oil and gas platforms and FPSO vessels. The company operates the world's largest fleet of offshore portable-modular rental cranes, deploying them along with operators, engineering, and project management crews for platform crane changeouts, FPSO lifting, flare tip replacement, well intervention support, and plug and abandonment campaigns across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India, and Africa.
Is Thunder Cranes a public or private company?
Thunder Cranes is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Thunder Cranes founded?
Thunder Cranes was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Thunder Cranes based?
Thunder Cranes is headquartered in Labuan, Malaysia, in the Asia region.
How does Thunder Cranes make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Crane Equipment Rental is the primary driver. The others are specialized Lifting Solutions and lift Planning Services.
Who are Thunder Cranes's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cargotec, MacGregor (Cargotec), Konecranes and National Oilwell Varco (NOV). Direct peers are Palfinger, Huisman, Hawboldt Industries, Liebherr (Liebherr-MCCtec / RMD) and Seatrax. Appleton Marine is listed as an others.
Does Thunder Cranes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thunder Cranes.
What industry is Thunder Cranes in?
Thunder Cranes's product category is Offshore Crane Rental & Lifting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAFAD, Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing. Its NAICS code is 33392 and its SIC code is 3531.