What's going on, SAR , and others ?.

Loose-Head.

I didn’t know until a few days ago, there are 600 decomissioned rigs that need to be dismantled, but no one will take the job on, so they are just being left to rot away,

Jim.
Lincoln .7

Jim, Charliehunt.

Thanks for the heads up on the maps, will certainly be taking a nosey at them.

Decomissioning a rig comes in 2 basic stages. Firstly the abandonment of the wells. Abandoning a well is a relatively simple process although experience has taught me that when dealing with things that you can’t see up to 30,000 feet below the earths surface that something will invariably try and ‘bite you in the ****’ !!
There are 2 basic types of wells. Producers and water injectors. A producer does just that, produces oil / gas. However in a lot of older wells, the natural reservoir pressure reduces over a period of time and another well will be drilled into the same formation. This well will inject water to force as much of the recoverable oil out as possible. This means that we get a mix of hydrocarbons and water back at surface from the producing well, which is not a problem as the platform has a ‘seperation train’ that does exactly what it says – seperates the water from the oil.
Unfortunately there are by-products from this practice to consider such as LSA (low specific activity) scale which is radioactive by nature, Co2, H2s, biocides etc etc. These will normally all be present in the pipe work on the platorm topsides where the basic refining process of the hydrocarbons takes place before being pumped back to town. This is the major barrier when it comes to de-commissioning the rig – costly, environmentally unfriendly, and a political hot potato if you get it wrong. no wonder the operators stay away from it for as long as they can !!

Fortunately (for me) I deal on the well’s side of things, and not decommissioning !!!

As for the response from the SAR, shipping etc, personally (although these days I’ve swapped the North Sea for the Middle East) I’m glad that such a response was swift and comprehensive. Sometimes you can feel pretty exposed out there and knowing that the back-up is there when needed is comforting.

I take it you registered, and that you have added that one to your “Fleet?”,
There a quite a lot of SARs around at any given time, Whatever the weather. Have you tried the windspeed facility for the area they search in, when a SHOUT goes up?,
Jim.

Lincoln .7

Thanks a lot, Linc – got that one, so now I know how to find them ’twill be a doddle!!:D

It’s 16.17. and the SAR aircraft, designated …..SAR 1192 is flying off Waterford.BTW, I use the same program..Live Ship Map AIS.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Linc – this is the one I use http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/, but there are no choppers on it – just surface vessels. Which are you using?

Charlie and Scott. It’s difficult for a start, because unless there is a “Shout” they will not be airborn. The most frequent one I see is the SAR Helicopter from Lerwick, they seem to fly quite a lot of the time, All the SARs are not, as you will have seen, not listed on the different vessels as shown on the left hand side of the screen,
It’s a case of doing your own SAR and hope you get a hit, as I stated, they are shown up as very light blue.
Try all the major Ports, ie Southampton, Plymouth etc.
Seek, and ye shall find.:)
Jim.
Lincoln .7

thats the one i use too Charlie, i cant see aircraft on it

Linc – this is the one I use http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/, but there are no choppers on it – just surface vessels. Which are you using?

Hi Scott. I am certain you can find this site. Once on, you will get a list of different coloured ships, the very light blue ones are usualy the SAR Helicopters, but some are aircraft, rescue ships, RNLI, once you see one, and have IDd it, you can follow it’s track, as to where it’s been/going to.Once you have seen any SAR A.Cs, ships, helios, you can file it under, “My Fleet” then you will have a record of what you have selected, and click on whatever you have saved. You will also get an email, telling you when one of your “Fleet” has departed from it’s home base.

Jim.

Lincoln .7

im still trying to work out the website lol, Jim, how do i find SAR aircraft? is there a specific search for it?

There was an item, on BBC South, which included that vessel, in which they said that fuel costs have reached the point where owners are telling captains to slow down, since it can save thousands of pounds.

Hi Edgar.
I follow that ship, every day, when it reaches it’s next Port of call, the turnaround is very speedy. The maps as I have stated gives a photo of the ships, course, and speed, I guess the Captain of the Marco Polo, didn’t “Hear” the order to slow down, as it seems to travel flat out at it’s max speed when viewed on the map.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Loose-Head.

Many thanks for your explanation as to what may have been the cause.
Looking at the Live Ships Map AIS, it must have caused quite a stir, as so many helicopters, rescue ships etc were around the rig for two days solid. I cannot even begin to imagine what would have happened, should it have been a major oil leak.
Right up where the Cod breed,it would have devastated their stocks.
Pop along and have a look at the maps, I find it very informative, and you get to know things prior to it being on the news, providing it’s newsworthy.:) I didn’t know until a few days ago, there are 600 decomissioned rigs that need to be dismantled, but no one will take the job on, so they are just being left to rot away,

Jim.
Lincoln .7

Thank you. Knowledgable input is always welcome.:)

The platform that had the leak was the Cormorant Alpha (one of my old stomping grounds) a former Shell asset now operated by Taqa Bratani. A number of the platforms in the Shetland Basin hook into the same pipeline system – which meets land at St Fergus in the N-East of Scotland – and would have been shut down purely as a precaution (a lesson learned the hard way after Piper Alpha where two platforms that were linked back to piper continued pumping after the initial explosions, thus exacerbating the situation). The other platforms were not evacuated.

The concrete gravity base of the Cormorant Alpha ( from which the 4 legs rise is designed to store 1,000,000 barrels of oil. The legs are hollow and accessible. The leak (which was reportedly very small) could have come from something as relatively minor as a leaking valve. I understand that the gas detectors were set off after detecting gas vapours emitted from the leaked crude oil.

There is one Container ship, Marco Polo, and the miles it travels in one day is unbelievable, I also think it’s the largest container ship, registered in the U.K.

There was an item, on BBC South, which included that vessel, in which they said that fuel costs have reached the point where owners are telling captains to slow down, since it can save thousands of pounds.

Surely not around our coastline. But no doubt dotted around the coasts of Africa and Asia perhaps…..someone on here will know, that’s for sure.

On a more serious note, do we have any Seaplanes equipped with floats that can be used in ASR,? Or Seaplanes like the old Sunderland?. PBYs?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

“…metal/and or WOOD…”!!:diablo:

No Charlie, they don’t show Submarines on there. 😀

Jim.

Lincoln .7

🙂 – makes a change from those metal and/or wood sausage thingies with flat bits sticking out sideways!:D

Yes it is, I tend to look out for all the SAR Aircraft, ships, and RNLI, search for them, and when one shows up, I add it to “MY FLEET”.

There is one Container ship, Marco Polo, and the miles it travels in one day is unbelievable, I also think it’s the largest container ship, registered in the U.K.
Jim.
Lincoln .7