Shell Expro, which is already cutting around 300 jobs a year as part of a streamlining operation, will have to shed even more jobs to safeguard the long-term future, it was revealed yesterday.

If #50m is not cut off the #900m budget this year, rising to #150m by 2001, then investment in new projects of more than #1bn a year will be jeopardised, according to Mr Malcolm Brinded, the managing director.

He said the low oil price had prompted the situation which was not going to suddenly change.

The news came after 250 of the company's managers had spent two days discussing how savings might be made.

Mr Brinded said jobs would be lost but it would be some months before it became clear how many. He said most would start to go progressively next year and in 2000. However, he said the bulk of the savings would be achieved by means other than job cuts.

No decisions had been made but in Finance and Commercial, where the planning had been under way for some time, there were 350 staff and in the next 18 months in various onshore locations 80 jobs would go.

Expro has around 1000 staff working offshore and 2000 onshore where the greatest impact is likely to be felt.

However, one proposal affecting the offshore workforce which will go to consultation will be the implementation of a rota system which will mean an extra three weeks work each year, 24 weeks instead of 21, which Mr Brinded said would bring them in line with most of their competitors.

Mr Brinded said the response from staff had been very good. ''Everyone realises these changes have significant implications for a lot of people and what I am impressed by is the realism and determination that this needs to be done and there is the creativity and teamwork within the company that will enable these improvements to be made.''

He said they had been looking at how to get #50m, just over 15%, from their operating costs this year and #150m by 2001.

qThe 1000-strong workforce at the troubled Viasystems factories in the Borders will learn their fate on Tuesday.

The company yesterday confirmed an announcement would be made in the wake of further rumours suggesting 600 redundancies next month and final shutdown next spring.