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                                                                     EXHIBIT 23


                    CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

As independent public accountants with respect to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
N.V. and Subsidiaries, we hereby consent to the incorporation of our reports
addressed to the Shareholders and the Supervisory Board of Chicago Bridge & Iron
Company N.V. in respect of the December 31, 2000 and 1999 consolidated balance
sheets, and the related consolidated statements of income, changes in
shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years ended December
31, 2000, included and incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, into the
Company's previously filed Registration Statements on Form S-8 (Nos. 333-24443,
333-24445, 333-33199, 333-39975 and 333-87081).


/s/ Arthur Andersen

Amsterdam, The Netherlands
March 29, 2001


          REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL
                 SCHEDULE TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

To the Shareholders and the Supervisory Board of Chicago Bridge &
Iron Company N.V.:

We have audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in the
United States of America and The Netherlands the consolidated financial
statements of CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY N.V. (a Netherlands corporation) and
SUBSIDIARIES, included in the Company's 2000 Annual Report to Shareholders
incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, and have issued our report thereon
dated February 12, 2001. Our audits were conducted for the purpose of forming an
opinion on those statements taken as a whole. Supplemental Schedule V. (the
"Schedule") to the consolidated financial statements included on page 26 of this
Form 10-K is the responsibility of the Company's management. The Schedule is
presented for purposes of complying with the Securities and Exchange
Commission's rules and is not part of the basic financial statements. The
Schedule has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audits of
the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, is fairly stated in all
material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a
whole.

/s/ Arthur Andersen

Amsterdam, The Netherlands
February 12, 2001