ice-class vessels and operations
Arctic seminar provides insight into new developments
The 7th Arctic Passion seminar in Helsinki in March provided an excellent opportunity to catch up on some of the latest developments in ice-class vessels and operations
representatives S
peaking at the event in co-operation with Riikki Matala, a project manager at seismic survey specialist Fugro, of Aker
Arctic
some of the challenges of conducting seismic operations in ice-prone waters. He used the example of a recent project undertaken by the seismic vessel Geo Celtic in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska as a case study. The Chukchi Sea is ice- covered for around eight months a year, with the main ice-free times being July, August, September and October. “Arriving at the right time is crucial,” said the company. “In remote areas such as this, port infrastructure is often under-developed and flights into and out of the region may be limited. High quality support for fuel runs and crew- change operations is essential.” Aker Arctic and Fugro’s advice to other
vessel operators was simple: “Prepare, prepare, prepare,” he told the seminar. “You will be operating in a very remote area and everything you need must be carried on board. Local logistic support can be very expensive. You need tight control of small boat operations and personnel transfer; your operational support models need to be optimised to the kind of area in which you will be operating; and you should expect other problems, such as fog.”
highlighted Operating seismic ships in icy waters requires plenty of preparation
Apart from a limited season in which to acquire seismic data, Aker Arctic highlighted the fact that although 2D seismic with an icebreaker in attendance will be possible, it will also be expensive. Moreover, 2D data is not considered sufficient for making drilling decisions. It is only possible to acquire a high volume of 3D data in ice-free conditions, and the Arctic area needs especially high quality seismic data to reduce the uncertainty associated with drilling. Whales may also be present in the ice-free area in the summer months, but if they are, air gun acoustic sources cannot be employed. The key question is, said the company, how
can high quality seismic data be acquired year-round in such an area, at a reasonable cost? The answer, he suggests, might be a specially designed seismic vessel, such as has recently been proposed by Aker Arctic. This vessel is 99m overall with a breadth of 21m, two azimuthing thrusters, endurance for 60 days and a seismic package for open waters
consisting of 12 winches. Aker Arctic suggests that other potential solutions for seismic ships for ice-prone waters could include an icebreaking trimaran with a very wide deck area; or a double-acting solution, with stern-first movement for ice management combined with moonpools in the bow area for seismic streamers.
Another potential solution could be a full icebreaking bow with propeller-only design with improved air-bubble underwater ‘noise curtain’ and a ‘super wide’ stern. Aker Arctic has
completed verification tests for these
designs, providing the green light for further development. Working closely with Russian interests, Aker Arctic has also been working on new ideas for use in the Laptev Sea, including ways to protect seismic streamers. Mikko Niini, the managing director
of
Aker Arctic, gave an interesting presentation about
a revised design for a European
research icebreaker. As readers of OSJ will remember, the European Research Icebreaker
Fennica and Nordica in Alaskan waters
Arctia in Finland recently reported that the multi-purpose icebreakers Fennica and Nordica have been chartered by Shell to operate in the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea in the next three summer seasons. Fennica and Nordica have been chartered for ice management services, to ensure safe conditions under which to carry out drilling. Once in the region, Fennica and Nordica will ensure that the area in which the drillship operates remains clear of ice. The icebreakers
68 I Offshore Support Journal I June 2012
will break ice and, if necessary, tow large ice flows. Fennica and Nordica also have the capacity to lift heavy loads and move them from one location to another. The vessels also have accommodation facilities which will be available to the customer. In the case of an emergency, the vessels will be prepared to install a well capping device. Fennica and Nordica will be fitted with catalytic converters for use during the project offshore Alaska. These will minimise the amount
of NOx and particulates they emit into the environment. The vessels will also use fuel with an extremely low sulphur content. Both vessels meet the stringent emissions requirements set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Arctic region (the EPA’s requirements are actually stricter than those set down by the International Maritime Organization). “Our vessels were chartered specifically to
ensure that the operations are safe,” said the company’s CEO, Tero Vauraste.
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