Thunder Cranes

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.

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

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

• Offshore crane rental
• Portable modular cranes
• Offshore lifting solutions
• FPSO lifting services
• Plug and abandonment support

Headquarters

HQ city

Labuan

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Specialized Lifting Solutions: Customized lifting solutions including complex rigging, flare tip replacement, crane changeouts, helideck skidding, FPSO project support. Engineering and project management services.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PETRONAS CarigalicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Multi-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.
• ChevroncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 20193-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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMiddle East partnership for ADIPEC exhibition and market presence. ESCO hosts Thunder Cranes at their pavilion at industry events.
• Appleton MarineminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPartnership 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/cranesthunder
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpLXqd6JGp-NDOaOjiIif0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/thundercranes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thunder-cranes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thunder Cranes