Dutch W2W firm Ampelmann debuts in Norway on Aker BP’s Valhall

Ampelmann, the company providing offshore gangway solutions,  has secured a contract with DeepOcean to support the hook-up and commissioning of Aker BP’s Valhall Flank West (VFW) project, marking Ampelmann’s debut in Norway.

Walk to Work (W2W) has been chosen as the means of offshore access the commissioning, and Ampelmann will be providing an E-type motion compensated gangway system for the Normand Jarstein vessel.

Ampelmann said this will enable the safe and efficient transfer of key personnel to the normally unmanned installation.

According to the Dutch offshore services provider, its E-Type gangway is the company’s largest and is suited for W2W operations in rough weather conditions, being able to compensate high sea states up to 4.5 metres Hs.

The campaign is due to start in June.

Lorenz Nehring, Business Development Manager UK & Norway at Ampelmann, said: “We have spent a considerable amount of time designing the offshore access segment of this project directly with Aker BP stakeholders. It is a significant milestone for Ampelmann as we enter another important Oil & Gas region, delivering trusted and reliable offshore access other regions have benefited from.”

Valhall is one of the largest oil fields in the southern part of the Norwegian sector in the North Sea. The field has produced more than one billion barrels of oil since the start-up in 1982.

Valhall Flank West will be developed from a new Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI), tied back to the Valhall field centre for processing and export.

The platform will be remotely operated from the Valhall field centre. First oil is expected in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Aker BP submitted its plans for development and operations for the Valhall Flank West, Ærfugl, and Skogul fields to the Norwegian authorities in mid-December 2017.

Source: Offshore Energy Today