Ampelmann has strengthened its position in the North Sea this year after being awarded four new contracts and two extended scopes of work in the basin.
The projects will see six E-type gangway systems deployed for planned shutdown campaigns and ongoing fabric maintenance support by different major operators across the UKCS.
Utilising motion compensation technology, Ampelmann’s E-type is the largest system in the company’s portfolio and is ideally suited for the harsh environment of the North Sea, able to compensate high sea states up to 4.5m Hs.
The gangway, which can transfer a full shift of up to 40 people in 15-20 minutes, enables offshore workers safe and easy access to a variety of assets, including Floating Production Offloading Storage (FPSO) units and fixed structures of all sizes to carry out essential repair and maintenance activity.
One of the contracts includes a three-year extension to support maintenance operations in the Southern North Sea and will be operational all year round. This is Ampelmann’s longest standing contract in the North Sea. Another award for a short shutdown campaign to allow production-enhancing work to take place has now been completed
Since the Netherlands-headquartered company was founded a decade ago, it has helped close to 300,000 offshore workers commute safely to and from vessels and assets and has transported more than 80,000 kilograms of vital equipment and cargo in the North Sea.
Lorenz Nehring, Ampelmann Operations (UK) Business Development Manager, commented: “We are encouraged to see an increasing number of our E-type gangway systems deployed in the North Sea in addition to the two already mobilised. Our Walk to Work systems offer a safe, cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional transfer methods providing operators significant commercial benefits for planning campaigns.
“The highly reliable E-type gangway is well-matched to the harsh environment of the North Sea, trusted by operators due to the unparalleled experience Ampelmann has supporting Walk to Work projects.”
All six projects will be supported from Ampelmann’s base in Aberdeen, which has experienced increased business demand in recent months, resulting in relocation to larger office premises on Waterloo Quay to support a growing team.
Nehring continued: “Since the opening of our first local office in 2015, Ampelmann has continued to grow with increased demand for our systems in the North Sea, as operators see the operational and safety benefits our gangway systems provide. With the move to our new office, we continue to be close to our clients offering increased local support.”