Offshore Solutions BV (OSBV) has been providing 24/7 personnel access for Pearl 1 Platform – one of two platforms providing offshore gas to Pearl Gas to Liquids (GTL) project in Qatar - since the completion of sea trials in December 2010.
Using the 20-metre Offshore Access System (OAS), mounted on the Bourbon Gulf Star vessel, the Qatar Shell operations, project and maintenance personnel have been able to access the platform 24 hours a day. The unique continuous connection capability of the OAS has been a key element of the marine access success story. Pearl GTL is a joint operation between Qatar Petroleum and Shell.
In 2011, the OAS has run for more than 2,500 hours with 100 per cent availability. During this period, more than 20,000 personnel transfers have taken place without any safety incidents. This is the first heave-compensated access system working in the region and it has been engineered by OSBV to perform for extended periods in demanding weather conditions.
OSBV's managing director, Lindsay Young, said: "We are extremely pleased with the performance of our OAS unit and are very proud to deliver this unique marine access service to the offshore facilities of the Pearl GTL project; the largest GTL plant in the world. The ability to remain connected continuously day and night over a wide range of sea states and weather conditions has demonstrated the robustness and reliability of our system. We believe that our success with the Pearl GTL project will greatly assist us in our strategy of developing a Qatar-based access solutions business."
The OAS, designed and developed by OSBV, connects a vessel to an offshore installation to allow the safe transfer of personnel. It provides a safe, reliable, efficient and cost effective method of transferring personnel offshore. By using an OAS in conjunction with the right host vessel, offshore operators can reduce operational expenditure, reduce downtime and increase efficiency.