20 Reflex Marine carriers in use at Yamal LNG project

Launched in 2013 on Russia’s Yamal peninsula, the Yamal project is one of the largest LNG projects in the world. It uses 20 of Reflex Marine’s crew transfer carriers across vessels and platforms – at least one per vessel.

Ten of the crew transfer carriers used in the Yamal projects are of Reflex Marine’s most advanced type – the FROG-XT4; the other 10 are the flexible and small-footprint option – the WAVE-4 basket for standing passengers. The WAVE-4 baskets are used for crew transfers on icebreakers and Arctic tankers used in the project, including during ship-to-ship transfers and for contingency.

Reflex Marine chief operating officer Sandra Antonovic said “Although the WAVE-4 was not originally designed for the cold environments of the Arctic, it serves its purpose of safely transferring people even in those demanding conditions.”

“WAVE-4 was developed for its small footprint. We see more and more operators in the LNG industry choosing this option and recognising the range of benefits: flexibility, efficiency of transfers, wide operational window and, most importantly of all, the safety factors.”

The units are owned or used by MOL LNG, Teekay Shipping, Sovcomflot and Tschudi Shipping while Gazprom, the project operator, has opted for the FROG-XT range carriers most suited for extreme arctic conditions. In addition, the company said the Sakhalin project, operated by ExxonMobil, also features more than 20 of the company’s crew transfer units daily.