Qatar Shell Order Offshore Solution's OAS

Offshore Solutions expand its Offshore Access System (OAS) operations in Qatar with another contract.

Offshore Solutions BV (OSBV), the joint venture between AMEC and Cofely Nederland NV, continues to build on recent successes in The Gulf, after being awarded a Variation Order (VO) to its existing contract with Qatar Shell GTL Limited (Shell Qatar) for a second Offshore Access System (OAS), bringing its operational units with oil and gas majors in the region to three.

The latest addition is to support Shell Qatar’s Wells Reservoir Management Campaign and will see an OAS unit deployed on the Halul 50 multi purpose offshore vessel for a period of seven months with a possible option to extend.

The VO comes on the back of a three-year agreement with Shell Qatar to service Pearl 1 and 2 platforms of the Pearl GTL project, the world’s largest gas-to-liquids plant, which is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Shell. Based on their positive experience to date of using an OAS equipped vessel, Shell Qatar have exercised their 2 x 1 year options, extending the contract duration to the end of 2015.

During this agreement, OSBV has already achieved more than 62,840 safe personnel transfers mounted on board the Bourbon Gulf Star and has been connected for more than 5,000 hours since operations began, with 100 per cent availability for the past 12 months.

Lindsay Young, managing director of OSBV, said: “An OAS equipped vessel provides safe and cost effective offshore accommodation that during the winter months in Qatar, offers significantly greater access to offshore installations than by crew vessels or helicopters. The additional offshore man-hours made available by marine access can have a positive impact on production and radically reduce construction and maintenance costs.”