The partnership between Damen Shipyards Group and Ampelmann to extend the benefits of motion-compensated gangway systems to fast crew supply vessels has reached a major landmark.

At the end of March, the first Damen fast crew supply (FCS) vessel to be fitted with an Ampelmann L-type system began operations in the Gulf of Guinea. This marks a significant step forward in the move towards bringing the latest advances in safe and flexible marine access to a wider array of oil and gas operations.

Damen and Ampelmann have together been promoting their integrated solutions combining Damen’s FCS range and Ampelmann’s systems and now, thanks to the vision of Nigerian offshore services company LATC Marine and its client ExxonMobil Nigeria, the first has entered service.

An L-type Ampelmann motion-compensated gangway system has been fitted to a 50-metre Damen FCS 5009 that was already in operation with LATC Marine. The installation took place at Damen’s Nigerian service hub at Port Harcourt with Damen and Ampelmann working together to ensure a smooth integration.

Mr. Gbolahan Shaba, COO at LATC Marine commented: “We are proud to have partnered with Damen and Ampelmann in delivering one of the most innovative solutions in the Nigerian upstream industry in recent years. We are especially pleased to see ExxonMobil as the first to embrace this in the Nigerian market after agreeing to trial the gangway on several of their platforms. Today, the Ampelmann system is fast becoming the company’s preferred mode of personnel transfer and we look forward to delivering additional units to them before the end of 2018.”

The first commercial deployment of a Damen FCS 5009 with a retro-fitted Ampelmann motion-compensated gangway will also be of interest to the other existing operators of FCS 5009s. Around 40 are currently in operation around the world and this development opens up the possibility of others choosing to upgrade in a similar fashion. The new FCS 5009s that Damen holds in stock ready for outfitting and rapid delivery can now also be offered with Ampelmann’s L-type gangway as a proven option.

Damen’s new 70-metre FCS 7011 is additionally likely to benefit from the proof-of-concept effect. The 7011 has been designed to operate with the Ampelmann S-type motion-compensated gangway, and this news can only increase confidence in its future success as a game-changer in cost-effective, long-distance marine access.