PROJECT CARGO OIL AND GAS FEATURE
hastily-chartered freighters in ‘cost no object’ operations” continues to have its roots in reality. “If a drilling or production operation
has broken down and they need that piece there, they will pay the price for a chartered aircraft,” he stated, adding that Ruslan’s AN-124s often carry a range of oil and gas industry equipment – notably an item called a ‘Christmas tree’ (pictured right). “If forward planning is involved, then
there is likely to be a more considered decision about the cost of shipping the equipment, based on whether they want to increase the pace of exploration or production at the location concerned – and that will probably depend on where the oil price is at that time.”
Planning ahead Similar points are made by Lesley Cripps, group sales manager energy for global air cargo charter broker Chapman Freeborn. “These days, oil and gas sector companies do try and plan ahead as much as possible and forward shipments by sea or road if they can, but there will always be emergencies where an air charter movement is required.” Cripps also suggested that the air
charter industry has become something of a “partner” for the oil and gas industry, particularly when there is the need to develop new operations in areas of the world that are hard to reach or are located in harsh terrain. “There can be a lot of challenges
involved when it comes to getting equipment and parts to those locations. For instance, the airports nearest to the projects may be too small for the types of aircraft which need to go in there,” she pointed out. Reto Hunziker, managing director of
Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency, agrees that finding a suitable airport is often a challenge when it comes to organising chartered freighter flights for the oil and gas industry. “It is not just the length of the runway, it is whether an airport has the right cargo handling equipment and people with the know- how to deal with a dedicated charter flight,” he stated. “It can also be a challenge to find the
right aircraft provider flying into the region concerned – often, oil and gas
A ‘Christmas tree’, a large valve assembly which can be up to four metres high and weigh as much as 50-60 tonnes
sector movements are not on typical trunk routes. Additionally, some of the larger ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) providers are not always willing to take the risk of having their aircraft fly into those places.” GAC’s Langdon said it is vital for such
companies to “have their finger on the pulse in terms of what air capacity is available”. He added: “You also need to know what’s possible and what isn’t, for instance which airports can handle the aircraft and the shipment concerned and what rules and regulations have to be met if you need to unload the air freight in one country and truck it across a border to another.” One recent example of a classic
emergency air freight operation for the oil and gas industry involved Lufthansa Cargo Charter, together with its general sales agent in Houston, Platinum Air Cargo, moving six tonnes of specialised fire-fighting equipment from that US gateway to Dammam in Saudi Arabia where an oil well was on fire. Following a request received late on a Saturday evening, an AN-12 was quickly positioned in Houston and the equipment was flown out the following Monday afternoon. “The operation had its price but the
customer was happy,” Hunziker added. “Even in an emergency, customers will still search the market, so you have to offer a competitive price, but if something has gone wrong in the oil and gas industry and equipment is needed urgently, then it is really all about speed.”
ALM AIR LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT 31
Reto Hunziker
“If something has gone wrong … then it is
really all about speed”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68