Total E&P will be the first user of Reflex Marine’s new crew transfer device — FROG-XT4 — for operations at its Odudu field in Nigeria
The French operator purchased the four-person carrier for inter-field transfers and said that it has found the device to be an invaluable back-up method when adverse weather conditions result in helicopters being unable to fly.
According to Reflex Marine, the FROG-XT4 was developed in line with the industry’s continued drive to improve the safety of its operations.
The device provides greater comfort and safety to passengers, wider operating parameters, and higher capacity transfers. Its compact frame allows for easy storage and cost-effective shipping.
A deck foreman at Total E&P Nigeria said, “The FROG-XT4 is very portable and easy to transfer from Starboard to Port, and vice-versa. In case of impact, it has better personnel protection with improved shielding compared to that of the FROG-3, previously used by Total. Another improvement would be the FROG-XT4’s shock absorbers.”
The response from the wider industry on the new range has also been positive, with a second unit recently purchased by an international operator in Mozambique, Reflex Marine said.
Reflex Marine has established a number of accredited service centres for FROGs and TOROs around the world, with stock on the ground at some of the partners facilities at Norway, Houston and Abu Dhabi.
Reflex Marine is also planning to launch a higher capacity version of the product, the FROG-XT10, in the market in the coming months.