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One of the most attractive industries to operate in currently is the offshore access industry. In this industry, personnel and goods are transferred on sea from point A to point B. The companies function as some sort of offshore taxi. The demand for this type of service grows every month, as companies like Shell need to transfer personnel from vessels to offshore oil platforms. There are various ways in which this service can be provided, each having their own pros and cons.

The helicopter maintenance platforms

One of the oldest ways of moving personnel on sea is the helicopter. The helicopter is mainly attractive to companies like Wintershall and Origins Energy because of its fast lead time. However, the helicopter also has many disadvantages like:

? Relatively unsafe, there have been some accidents in the past with the helicopter, leading to injured personnel or even casualties. ? Offshore helicopter transfers are costly. ? Vulnerable to external conditions like the weather.

Although there are many disadvantages, companies operating in the offshore oil & gas industry still stick to the helicopter as main method of moving personnel offshore.

Windcat Workboat

In the offshore wind industry, the Windcat Workboat is most often used to transfer repair men to offshore wind turbines. The Windcat Workboat is a vessel specialized for offshore transfer operations. The boat goes full throttle when it is near to the offshore platform, in order to make it 'stick' to the targeted offshore wind turbine. In this way the repair men can safely cross in order to perform maintenance works to the offshore wind turbine. The Windcat Workboat is relatively safe and cost effective but cannot operate when wave heights exceed 2.5 meters.

Heave Compensated Gangway

The latest invention in the industry is the so called heave compensated gangway. This is a machine consisting of three crucial elements. First of all, the machinery runs on the same technology as used in flight simulators. With this technology, five or six hydraulic legs are adjusted in length according to assessed wave heights. The system also comprises of an extendable gangway that is used to connect to the platform and enable employees to safely cross from one point to another.

The heave compensated gangway is also known as the offshore access system. Currently it is the most advanced method of transferring personnel on sea. It is safe, reliable and moreover, the system can operate in almost all weather conditions. It is expected that this system will take over the market soon.