Ampelmann to provide Walk to Work for Solstad Offshore ASA

Ampelmann to provide Walk to Work for Solstad Offshore ASA

Ampelmann, the Dutch offshore access provider, has signed a contract with Norwegian offshore shipping company, Solstad Offshore ASA, to provide an A-type gangway for a two-, possibly, four-year, Walk to Work (W2W) campaign for a major Brazilian oil and gas producer. The gangway was fitted to the Construction Support Vessel (CSV) Normand Valliant and has successfully passed sea trials.

In the next two years the A-type, Ampelmann’s flagship motion compensated system, will ensure the daily transfer of 45 workers between the Normand Valiant to offshore assets on the Brazilian continental shelf. By compensating for all six degrees of freedom of the host vessel, the gangway enables safe, reliable and easy access to offshore installations.

“Our thanks go out to Solstad for committing to our systems and services,” says Jairo Prezzi, Ampelmann’s Business Development Manager for South America. “We are particularly proud to be part of this tripartite collaboration. Though we have enabled W2W campaigns in Brazilian waters before, this will be the first time for both clients in this region. We are particularly delighted to introduce our end client to W2W and we hope this will be the beginning of a fruitful and productive relationship.”

Ampelmann has been operating in Brazil since 2015 and has maintained a permanent office in Rio de Janeiro ever since. According to Prezzi, “We have performed more than 100.000 transfers to and from Brazilian offshore platforms in the past seven years. Ampelmann’s fully motion compensated systems are well established in the offshore world and are seeing increasing use in Brazil because of the efficiencies and flexibility they bring to the offshore energy sector. Our gangways can be fitted to different types of vessels, ideal for a wide variety of projects and campaigns. As such, W2W vessels provide a powerful complementary access solution, alongside flotels, for operations on offshore platforms in Brazil.”

“Brazil’s offshore energy sector is growing at an immense pace,” Prezzi continues, “and our global experience as an offshore access provider can help to break down individual problems and solve specific challenges that come with this projected growth. Our global track record includes construction and maintenance work in the O&G and offshore wind sectors, as well as decommissioning operations. In the coming years we hope to facilitate the imminent expansion of Brazil’s maritime energy infrastructure. We foresee ample space for W2W to become a defining feature of Brazil’s growing offshore frontier.”