LEIGHS Paints is on the crest of a wave with its work for oil companies.

The company based on Kestor Street, Bolton, is being called upon by major oil companies to make coatings for sub-sea "Christmas tree" pipe fittings.

Christmas tree fittings, so called because of their appearance, are assemblies of valves, pipes and fittings which divert the flow of oil and gas.Almost 1,300 of them could be needed for new undersea sites in the next four years - which could result in more orders for Leighs.

The steel constructions are used all over the world wherever there is a major oilwell and are placed in water of depths between 60 metres to over 2km.

Depending on the use and the size of the oil or gas well, the fittings can range in height from a few metres to that of a three-storey building - or higher.

Leighs Paints has worked on sub-sea projects for firms such as Texaco in locations including the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the East Timor Sea, off Australia.

With dwindling fuel resources on land and in shallow water, energy companies are increasingly turning their attention to deep water oil and gas fields.

According to The World Deep Water Market Forecast, these new reserves will make up 20 per cent of offshore oil and gas production by 2012.

This will require the laying of over 1,270 new sub-sea Christmas trees fittings around the world by 2012.

Carl Flavell, the UK and international markets manager for Leighs Paints, said: "We have developed maintenance-free coating systems for use in aggressive, sub-sea environments.

"Our clients need to be sure that once a tree has been coated, it will perform for its design life.

"The cost of replacing these Christmas trees would make even a billionaire sweat, so each one's coating has to last for at least 20 years. In most cases, maintenance is not an option.

"Through extensive research we have been able to provide a coating system that is user- friendly and fully compliant with the performance requirements."

Leighs Paints has been involved in the offshore market since the late 1970s. Mr Flavell said: "We have been constantly developing our range to meet the changing requirements in a notoriously aggressive environment.

"We are very excited at the prospect of being at the forefront of this expanding market for many years to come."