Offshore Solutions has announced the successful completion of the first vessel-to-FPSO personnel transfers using its heave-compensated marine “walk-to-work” system.

During July and August the company’s patented offshore access system (OAS), mounted on the ‘Stril Explorer’ successfully transferred personnel to and from Shell Expro’s ‘Anasuria’ FPSO, (located approximately 175 kilometres east of Aberdeen, Scotland, with no safety incidents. An OAS is a 20-metre hydraulically operated heave-compensated telescopic gangway, designed to operate in 2.5-metre-high sea states.

Some 24 operational connections were made, facilitating 294 individual crossings. The transfers were achieved while the ‘Stril Explorer’ carried out diving activities during the same period, demonstrating further flexibility of a vessel-mounted OAS.

The OAS used was also the first to incorporate free-standing modification. Mounted on a skid, the free-standing version can be quickly installed on the host vessel, enabling short-term hires.

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