Abstract
Across many offshore assets in the North Sea and around the world, a common challenge that Operators are continually encountering is the ability to complete desired work scopes in a bed-constrained environment.
In the summer of 2012, in order to facilitate the execution of key fabric maintenance and subsea/marine integrity scopes, the Operator utilised a relatively new solution called "Walk to Work" (W2W) at the Captain Field as a means to increase the number of available man-hours offshore to complete the work.
W2W is a term used to describe the use of a gangway installed on a vessel to transfer personnel to/from the installation at the beginning and end of their shifts. Day and night shift personnel transfers from the vessel facilitates 24-hour working on the installation, thus increasing the number of available man-hours.
The key enabling elements that the Operator addressed were the selection of the W2W system & W2W vessel and the installation of the W2W landing platforms. In addition, other key activities such as regulatory approval, Independent Verification Body approval, safety reviews, and campaign maintenance planning were imperative to the success of the project.
The W2W project at Captain delivered key business results for the Operator. A new solution to the common problem of lack of beds offshore was utilised effectively. Although it may not be the solution to every project, W2W operations should be considered as a viable alternative to conventional means of adding extra resources offshore.
