A familiar fixture in the offshore wind sector, Damen’s Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710 is now set to expand into support operations in the oil & gas sector too.
With approximately 50 vessels operating in wider offshore energy fields to date, one of the key features of the vessel is its flexibility. According to Damen, a few straightforward modifications, in addition to the existing speeds of up to 25 knots and a range of up to 1,200 nautical miles, will see the FCS 2710 ideally placed to transfer to oil & gas operations.
“With such a vessel, it is possible to transfer large numbers of people offshore, quickly, in safety and comfort, at considerably lower operational costs than with a helicopter,” explains Wim Boerma, Product Manager High Speed Craft at Damen.
“In its standard form, the FCS 2710 is able to transfer up to 24 persons. However, with relatively straightforward modification it’s possible to configure the vessel to transport 60, 90, or even 100 offshore personnel, together with between eight and twelve crew members.”
“The FCS 2710 has a very good track record in the offshore wind industry, with a lot of satisfied clients. We firmly believe the vessel has a lot to offer in the oil & gas market. It provides a significant boost to safety, comfort, cost-efficiency, as well as sustainability; all of which are attributes relevant to oil & gas. We’re very much looking forward to seeing the vessel in action in this sector in the coming months and have every confidence in its success,” concludes Wim.
Damen operates a stock building programme, designed to offer clients rapid access to a newbuild vessel. Following that principle, the company has constructed a number of FCS 2710 vessels in advance and is nearing completion of several more. The adaptations required for the vessels to serve the oil & gas sector are expected to take just a few short weeks.
