area report Gulf of Mexico
existing contract to support the campaign (a programme that was actually due to start pre- Macondo, but is only now getting underway). Sisuaq, formerly known as the Harvey Hauler, was delivered in April from Eastern Shipbuilding. Some US flag vessels are returning from
overseas – GulfMark brought three platform supply vessels (PSVs) and a fast supply vessel (FSV) back from Trinidad; Hornbeck is bringing back two 265ft-class PSVs from Brazil (Sandstorm and Stormridge), and Edison Chouest has repositioned two of their DP2 240ft PSVs to the Gulf of Mexico from Trinidad and Brazil (Hero and C-Provider, respectively). Logistically, many US flag vessels that are currently overseas will be difficult to reposition back to the Gulf of Mexico. GulfMark currently has seven US flag vessels overseas, but cannot reposition them because of long-term contracts or the expectation that options on those vessels may be exercised at attractive rates. Similarly, other owners have US flag vessels on term contracts in West Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Brazil, all of which could be prohibitively expensive to mobilise back to the US market. In short, any US flag vessels that were easy to reposition have already been brought back to US waters. Recent weeks have seen a number of new vessels ordered and others delivered. GulfMark added two newbuilds to its US flag newbuild programme, for a total of nine PSVs to be delivered starting in the second quarter of 2013. Harvey Gulf recently took delivery of its latest
newbuild, Harvey Hauler, and the next Tiger class PSV, Harvey Champion, is scheduled for delivery in October of this year. In addition, Harvey Gulf will take delivery of its new multipurpose light construction vessel, Harvey Deep Sea, in March 2013. Hornbeck’s newbuild programme remains unchanged, with 16 US flag DP2 newbuilds in the 300 class, to be delivered starting next year. Seacor has one US flag DP2 anchor-handling tug/supply (AHTS) vessel set for delivery in the second quarter of 2012; two US flag FSVs for delivery in 2014; and four US flag DP2 PSVs for delivery between 2013 and 2015. At the time of writing, Edison Chouest’s US$200 million ice-class anchor handler Aiviq was en route to Alaska for preparations to support the drillship Noble Discoverer and barge Kulluk. The 5,444 bhp Aiviq has a dry bulk capacity of 8,840ft3 and can carry 500,000 gallons of fuel oil. As mentioned above, Harvey Gulf is also sending PSVs to Alaska in support of this campaign, Harvey Spirit and Harvey Sisuaq. Shell’s drilling programme centres around the Burger Prospect in the Chukchi Sea and Sivulliq in the Beaufort Sea. Shell acquired these offshore leases in 2008 and 2005, respectively, and had planned to commence the drilling campaign back
20 I Offshore Support Journal I June 2012
in 2010, before the Macondo disaster sent the US domestic drilling industry into a tailspin. The company’s 2012 Alaskan drilling programme will be supported by 22 vessels in total. If all regulatory
and environmental approvals go through in time for the scheduled July kickoff, this will be the first open-water drilling programme in Alaska in 20 years. OSJ
Arctic spill-response plan outlined
Shell has joined several international oil and gas companies in what is said to be the largest project of its type intended to enhance industry knowledge and capabilities in Arctic oil-spill response. According
to Richard Ranger at the
American Petroleum Institute, the goal of the joint industry project (JIP) is to advance Arctic oil-spill response strategies and equipment and increase understanding of the potential impacts of oil on the Arctic marine environment. The aim of the JIP is to advance capability in the areas of dispersants and dispersant application,
in-situ burning, mechanical
recovery, remote sensing, trajectory modelling and understanding the environmental effects that could result if a spill occurred. One key part of the project has been the development of a compendium that describes
the tools available for use by industry in response to an oil spill in the Arctic. It discusses some of the issues presented by the challenge of oil-pollution preparedness and response in the Arctic, and describes how these have been addressed through research, technology development and experimentation. In some cases, techniques have been modified from those used in temperate climates, but in many cases the techniques have been specifically developed for use in the Arctic.
“Some of these techniques have been recently developed, but several have been the subject of research activities for over 30 years,” said Shell. “In all cases, the techniques continue to be refined and improved in the laboratory and in the field, and additional research and development is planned.
Dean Taylor retires
After 34 years with offshore vessel owner Tidewater, Dean Taylor retired as the company’s chief executive on 31 May. Mr Taylor will remain on Tidewater’s board of directors and will serve as non-executive chairman of the board. Jeffrey M Platt, currently Tidewater’s chief operating officer, will take over as CEO. In
a statement, Mr Taylor said: “Tidewater has its best days before it.
The management team, the fleet, and the company’s prospects are as excellent as any in my 34 years of experience with the company. “It has been my privilege to have worked with truly terrific leaders and employees throughout my tenure with Tidewater… I look forward to a smooth transition and to spending more time with my family.”
NOIA notes industry’s commitment to safety
Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), issued the following statement on the second anniversary of the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) well incident. “Today marks the second anniversary of the
tragic Macondo Well accident,” he said. “As we reflect on the significance of this day, our thoughts are with the 11 men who lost their lives two years ago. The weeks and days leading up to the anniversary have been accompanied by frequent reminders of the tragedy. Amid the media coverage and rhetoric, the fact remains that no well is worth the loss of a life. “Never has safety been more evident in the offshore industry as today. The lessons of April 20, 2010 have resulted in new deepwater containment systems, a better understanding
of the use of dispersants in deep water, an increased ability to effectively respond to any future
oil spills, and an industry-sponsored Center for Offshore Safety, which is poised to help shape safety innovation in the future. “Industry leaders and federal regulatory leaders are once again communicating with each other with the common goal of providing energy and jobs to our nation in the safest manner possible. While risk can never be completely eliminated, confidence is high in both industry and the regulatory agencies that all are on the right track.
“The industry looks forward to continuing its work with Congress and the regulatory agencies to ensure the priority and focus on safety within the industry remains strong.”
www.osjonline.com
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 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200