Life on an Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico

[Haggis@wk]

What are the helical blades on outside diameter for?

Helical??? Too many syllables.....
. which one are you referring to?

[Shapley]

Starting with "Boomvang", and all the ones to the right, there are spiral 'vanes' or 'fins' on the external surface of the cylindrical support. These are sometimes seen on smokestacks, as well. I believe those are the items to which BigJon refers.

[Haggis@wk]

Jim,

After every jack up rig...

David Parsley

What Shapley said..

I talked to some of the "old hands" who grew up on jack up rigs. Very interesting stories, mostly horror ones about life on a jack up. I keep getting variations of "You guys have it easy, I remember in the old days........."

re: weather, I found this regarding Katrina. The guys here told me that Ike and Gustav caused more problems than Katrina.

Katrina's path




Thunder Horse might sink

For a while after Hurricane Dennis there was a real chance that "Thunder Horse" might sink. It was within 1-3% of capsizing; $1BIL+, the world's most expensive artificial fish reef. They manage to save it - wouldn't you like to be the guy who went onto the platform and crawled down the faulty leg to repair the pump/whatsit????

Even though it was saved it took three additional years before it started pumping oil.

[jamiebk]

One that almost sunk!

[Haggis@wk]

Thanks Jamie!! Those are much better photos and really give a sense of how close it was to capsizing. One of the engineers told me that the "experts" (defined as people who don't go out on platforms) decided that the platform wasn't going to tip any farther so they recommended that a crew go on board to start leveling the platform. The incident happened in 2005 and it wasn't until this year that it finally came online.....

[Haggis@wk]

What are the helical blades on outside diameter for?

Helical??? Too many syllables.....
. which one are you referring to?

I've been informed they are there to disrupt the flow of water, reducing the effect of currents on the platform's stability

[Haggis@wk]

I'm back on another rig in the GoM. This time Mad Dog, a BP spar platform slightly smaller than Holstein. I'm going to try and get photos later on.

This spar is anchored with 12 chain/10" nylon hawsers where Holstein is anchored with 16 chain link cables. The main difference is the nylon hawsers will stretch. This gives a perceptual rocking motion to the platform even in relatively calm seas.

On Holstein it takes significant wave motion, 8-10', to feel even the slightest motion. Since my bunk is much higher from the sea floor than it was on Holstein I'm expecting the rocking motion will help me sleep tonight

The crew is also much smaller than Holstein, 50-60 crew on board at a time. It was almost 150 until the hurricane last year destroyed the drilling rig - the remnants are on the bottom of the Gulf! Because of that the 100 or so crew that were dedicated to the drilling rig are no longer here.

Because the price of oil’s so low it does not make financial sense to reinstall the drilling rig, an investment of over $100MIL. The present crew will admit that Holstein is bigger but they are quick to point out that the volume of gas and oil from Mad Dog exceeds Holstein.

These people are among the most dedicated and professional groups I have ever met outside the military, and even then it was mostly combat oriented troops.

They are justifiable proud of their industry and will tell you at the drop of the hat how vitally important they feel their jobs are to the safety and security of the U.S. It really is a humbling experience to be around these guys and girls. That includes everyone from housekeeping to the rig boss. Depending on their jobs they work from 14 days on, 14 days off to 21 days on, 7 days off (catering/housekeeping folks) Everyone is always dusting and keeping things clean and shipshape.

Once again the most dangerous risk I face out here is overeating excellent food, especially the desserts! I’ll try to get some photos and post them later on.

This is going to be a short trip, I came out today, Saturday and (weather permitting!) will return on Monday.

[Haggis@wk]

I finally got permission to take a few photos outside but not of the rig itself. I did want to give you a feel what it's like to walk around on the outside of the platform. These shots were from the area where luggage is stored before a flight.

These two shots were taken about 200 ft. from the Gulf's surface. The MRHYN took a look and turned decidedly green; she's not fond of heights.

[Shapley]

Don't you love that open grating at those heights? We had a couple of walkways on the Carl Vinson that were equipped with open grating. They were only about 40' - 50' above the surface of the water, but that was enough to scare some of my shipmates out of walking out on them.

We also install it on much of our equipment, but that's usually above solid ground, and rarely more than 75' above it.

[piqaboo]

Urp. Color me green too.
Its not the openness so much as the unconnectedness between two sheets of grating (first shot). I just havent that much faith in rigidity.

Thanks for the pix tho !

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Oh! That is so cool! I wanna go see!

The height thing: I think you're born one way or the other. At the Grand Canyon, Fishie and I were out at the edge, leaning over and lookin' and grinnin'. Gil and Deb were back about ten yards, fussin' and worryin'.

[Haggis@wk]

Combine that hanging over the edge feeling with a perceptible rocking motion when you're walking towards the waist high railing and the feeling that you are moving towards the railing faster than you want to approach it. Intellectually you know you're safe but millennia of experience sets your hind brain to gibbering like a madman that you're going to go off the platform can be...unsettling

[piqaboo]

Oh! That is so cool! I wanna go see!

The height thing: I think you're born one way or the other. At the Grand Canyon, Fishie and I were out at the edge, leaning over and lookin' and grinnin'. Gil and Deb were back about ten yards, fussin' and worryin'.

I beg to differ. I remember being taught to be afraid of heights. It was at Devil's Postpile. My dad went to the edge to look down down down one of those pillars ( he later admitted to being stupid, given the potential for fracture of the basalt column). My mom wouldnt let me go withing 20 feet of the edge, due to the height. I argued, she gave graphic detail to support her argument.
I have been a tad nervous on the height thing ever since.
That is one case where I wish she'd just said "Because I said so!".

I've seen Altoid start to be afraid of something because ???? and we've trained her out of it by acting like it was the most fun thing in the world.

Now the motion sickness thing ... that seems to be inherent and seems to get worse with age. I didnt use to have it at all. Now I'd be very aware of that swaying Haggis described.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Welllllll, OK. I suppose you can be taught caution. But I figure I'll never fall but just once...

[piqaboo]

This is true....

Are you planning to go out on the clear catwalk at the Grand Canyon?
I will not be within 100 feet of that thing. :shudder:.
Nor, if I am in the party, will Altoid.
Unfortunately, I cant prevent OT from going out there.

Although Selma, you may have a point re inherent susceptibility to the fear. Meine kleine schwester is not at all afraid of heights, despite the same parents.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

That catwalk. I long to go see the Canyon from that Glass Catwalk. That has got to be the coolest view in the world!

[Haggis@wk]

To show how foolish I was when I was youg. These two photos were taken circa 1970 at Ft. Benning, GA. The first one is looking down over my reserve to to my boots and to the ground.

The next one is a shot of my room mate at the time "Hooker." He's on the far right.

He was yelling all the way down; "Look at the f******g patch on my chute!" (the white part)

"That's not a chute it's a f*****g nylon dishrag with 36 strings attached!!" "

I've seen fishnets with less holes!!"

"I want to meet the blanking, blanking, blanking rigger who pack it!!"

He spoke in that general vein until the following day.

[jamiebk]

I LOVED my first couple of freefalls and parachute experiences. I can think of nothing more ...well....free. Just flying through space and letting go. Check out these guys...they take it to a whole new level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttz5oPpF1Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZyB_ghpa0&NR=1

[Schmeelkie]

RE: motion sickness.

I used to go on all the rides at the amusement park - up and down, round and round, didn't matter. Haven't been to an amusement park in a while, but I get seriously nausous on carousels now. Try to send husband with kids, but if I have to go, I spend the whole time intensly focused on child's shoe, or anywhere that is only moving up and down, not round and round. Eyes get bored and I get a glimpse of the world passing by....and I'm regretting eating lunch before getting on the carousel.

Heights don't bother me too much, but I think height + motion would do me in - I'll remember not to go onto oil rigs in the future...

[piqaboo]

Love the shot of the boots, haggis!