Ampelmann Expands its Reach in the Russian Market
Dutch offshore service provider Ampelmann has opened a new office in Sakhalin, Russia, in a move to expand its presence in the local market. The office will be manned by a full-time team of two Operations Engineers, Cyril Kooijmans and Roman Andreev, who will work towards strengthening the company’s foothold in the region.
“Establishing a local presence in Sakhalin enables Ampelmann to execute the projected growth in the market of winterised Walk to Work (W2W) systems”, says Joeri Poelmann, Director Ampelmann Asia Pacific. “A local office that combines both experienced local and international personnel is key to best support our clients in continuing ongoing projects and starting up new ones in the region.”
Ampelmann has been operating in Sakhalin since 2014 when it started working with oil and gas company Sakhalin Energy. The company initially utilised the Ampelmann A-type system on a dedicated accommodation support vessel, which has been on charter since 2014 for the non-ice summer season. Since 2017, the two companies have been working together during the harsh winter season as well, with the help of the N-type system, designed to operate in temperatures as low as -28°C. In total, these systems have enabled over 154,000 safe personnel transfers to date.
“The growth of Ampelmann on Sakhalin island asked for a new workplace”, explains Mr Kooijmans, working in Sakhalin since October 2017. “The office makes it possible to invite clients, meet our growing pool of Russian operators, negotiate with suppliers and provide a workspace for Ampelmann employees coming over. Adding Mr Andreev to the team is also a great development as he is a local Operations Engineer who brings experience from the industry, has good knowledge of doing business in Sakhalin and has expertise on the procurement side.”