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What a year it’s been!
Posted: December 18, 2012 Filed under: Investigator, Marine National Facility, RV Southern Surveyor, The Future Research Vessel Project Leave a comment »It’s been an amazing year for everyone involved in the construction of Australia’s Marine National Facility research vessel, Investigator.
Let’s look back at all the hard work and contributions from CSIRO, Teekay Australia, the Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore, and many more global and local organisations, which are making this project possible.
In January, Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, was met by CSIRO’s Chief Executive Megan Clark and Marine and Atmospheric Research Chief, Bruce Mapstone. The PM toured the Marine National Facility, Southern Surveyor, and was briefed on progress with the new ship, Investigator.
Then we got to a glimpse of what Investigator was going to look like, with the first artist’s impressions of the ship released.
The coolest blog of the year, announcing the arrival of LEGO® Investigators from Denmark.
And, the construction of Australia’s new Marine National Facility research vessel, Investigator, began in the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore.
See the sembawang shipyard logo. ...
seahorse.
Nine of the crew of 32 are still missing.
The British ship Baltrover happened to be passing and was first to spot the collapse of the Sea Gem at 1409GMT.
It sent a radio message to shore for further help, and then picked up 19 survivors and two bodies from the sea.
The 5,600-ton steel barge had been converted into an oil rig comprising a drilling platform, living quarters and a helicopter landing pad.
It was supported on 10 steel legs 50 feet (15 metres) above the waves.
Two of these legs gave way as it was being prepared to move to a new location, and then the whole rig tilted sideways and sunk.
Men were seen jumping into the freezing cold sea - stained red with fuel - and clinging onto wreckage.
Survivors were brought ashore to Hull tonight.
RAF winchman John Reeson
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Rescuers on the Leconfield-based RAF helicopter, which rescued three men, said that by the time they had arrived only one leg of the converted barge was left visible.
Flight Sergeant John Reeson described the horrendous conditions as he had tried to save them.
" We went out through a snowstorm," he said.
" It was clear weather around the oil rig but it was rough. There were waves 15ft to 20ft high. I went down the winch line to men I could see in the water. It was freezing cold. They had been in the water an hour or two before we got there.
" One man hanging on to a life raft clutched me with a grip of iron when I reached him. It was almost impossible to pick him up, but I managed it. He was desperate."
One of the rig workers, Robert Hessey, said the structure collapsed without any warning.
" I saw the crane topple over the deck," he said. " There was a loud sound of grinding and rumbling. I hadn't realised what was happening until I heard someone shouting, 'She's sinking.'"
Last September, after much public anticipation, British Petroleum's rig was the first to discover natural gas in the British sector 42 miles (67km) off the Lincolnshire coast.
Earlier this month Sea Gem also became the first rig to light a flare over the North Sea.
BP said the tragedy will delay its drilling programme. A new purpose-built rig, Sea Quest, is currently under construction in Belfast but it will be some months before it's ready to operate.
Rescuers on the single RAF helicopter were honoured for their bravery in May 1966.
Flight Sergeant John Reeson, the RAF winchman, was awarded the George Medal. The navigator, Flight Lieutenant John Hill received the Air Force Cross and the pilot, Sergeant Leon Smith, got the Queen's Commendation.
A public inquiry into the sinking of the Sea Gem concluded metal fatigue in part of the suspension system linking the hull to the legs was to blame.
The inquiry recommended improving safety precautions such as regular inspections, a clear chain of command and better communication with workers
The Sea Gem's well was written off and new wells were drilled in Block 48/6 area, now known as West Sole Field.
The new Sea Quest floating platform began drilling nearby in July 1966.
The dangers of extracting oil at sea was further underlined in 1988 with the tragic accident of the Piper Alpha platform.
How Do Jackups Work?
Since the first jackup was built in 1954, jackups have become the most popular type of mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) for offshore exploration and development purposes. In fact, there are hundreds of jackups stationed around the world performing drilling and workover operations in just about every environment.
One of two types of bottom-supported MODUs (the other being the much less popular submersible rig), jackup rigs rest on the sea floor rather than float. The premise of a jackup rig is that it is self-elevating here, the legs are stationed on ocean floor and the drilling equipment is jacked up above the water's surface.
Providing a very stable drilling environment, in comparison to other types of offshore drilling rigs, jackups can drill in waters up to 350 feet deep. Once drilling is required in waters that are deeper than the capabilities of a jackup, semisubmersibles and drillships become a more logical choice for exploration and development operations.
When their legs are not deployed, jackups float, which makes these types of MODUs quite easily transported from one drilling location to another. While some are capable of self-propulsion and do not need an outside source for movement, most jackups are transported via tug boats or submersible barges. While towing is easily performed, barges are the transportation of choice when the jackup needs to be moved quickly or over a longer distance.
Jackup Legs
Whether a jackup design involves three or four legs, there are two main types of legs that are used on jackups. The first incorporates open-truss legs into the design that resemble electrical towers. Open-truss legs are made of tubular steel sections that are crisscrossed, making them strong, but lightweight.
Jackups can also have columnar legs made of huge steel tubes. While columnar legs are less expensive than open-truss legs to fabricate, they are less stable and cannot adapt to stresses in the water as well as open-truss legs. For this reason, columnar-legged jackups are not used in waters that measure more than 250 feet deep.
In addition to their legs, jackups are supported by two different systems of stabilization. Jackup legs are supported on the sea floor via either mats or spud cans.
Mat Supported Slot Jackup (MS)
A more logical choice for drilling environments that have soft floors, mat-supported jackups distribute the weight of the rig across the ocean's bottom, like a snow shoe. Usually shaped like an " A," mat supports are connected to the bottom of each leg of the jackup, ensuring that the rig does not punch-through the ocean's bottom.
Usually used on independent-legged jackups, spud cans are cylindrically shaped steel shoes with pointed ends, similar to a cleat. Spud cans are attached to the bottom of each leg, and the spike in the can is driven into the ocean floor, adding stability to the rig during operations.
Independent Leg Cantilever Jackup (IC)
Additionally, there are two types of elevating devices. Once the jackup is on location, the legs are lowered to the ocean's floor and the rig hull and drilling equipment is elevated well above the water's surface and away from any potential waves.
The first type of elevating device uses hydraulic cylinders equipped with moving and stationary pins. These cylinders extend and retract to climb up and down the legs of the jackup. The other type of elevating device employs a rack and two pinion gears that are turned to move the legs up and down.
Drilling Devices
Whichever type of leg that is used in the design, the legs of the jackup rise up through holes in the hull of the drilling rig. Here, a deck is used to support the drilling derrick and other equipment.
There are two ways to mount the drilling equipment on the hull. The most popular design for drilling equipment is a cantilevered jackup. Here, the drilling derrick is mounted on an arm that extends outward from the drilling deck. With a cantilevered jackup, drilling can be performed through existing platforms, as well as without them. Because of the range of motion that the cantilever provides, most jackups built in the last 10 years have been cantilevered jackups.
The other type of jackup is the slot-type jackup, also known as a keyway jackup. Drilling slot jackups are built with an opening in the drilling deck, and the derrick is positioned over it. While exploration wells can be drilled with drilling slot jackups, the rig can also be jacked up over another smaller facility, drilling through its hull.
Curious and excited workers may delayed the evacuation.
They watch and walk as they left the rig to safe distance.
Hard Hat available for undersea welding diver too 
Scuba Diving not only an hobby for some but somtimes such an hobby can turn into a money pond ... ..
My focus was not on the female engineer who claimed heroine that she was hurted by unkown fallen object, stayed on and alerted the others.
Let take a good look on the structure of the movable leg.
Anyone relates a method of restoring the rig : )
God Blessed.
Tilted but not Sunk
Eversince my yard walk on nov 2012 posting, unfortunate thing had happened on dec 2012 in singapore shipyard.
The odd 90 men Why on shore, They got things to do or just want to learn / feel the jacking up process.
If the answer is later, thank god for being work and stop on the dot.
So the number one qns would be when can the rig be restored into the original state, if not upright position.
Do consider.
1. Was the rig render safe? Is there any unsafe condition that may lead to round 2 collapse, beside the authority stop work order.
2. Will those scaffolding collapse out of a sudden (strong wind/ wave?) and damage / burst the pipeline and rig structure including its mechanism.
3. Is there any hamful / pressurised gases left unattended and unknown eversince the 17 degree tilted incident? If yes, will it leads to health and fire outbreak issues?
4. Can some one maintain its balanced as he was able to work steadily alone? If not does compulsory life jacket and present of rescue boat and team helps shall the priority risk is falling into sea?
5. Was calculated damages forseeable and further damages minimised or totally eliminated from occurrencing?
6. Is there such a written policy on what to be done next in an systematic and orderly manner. ie surveying the damages, rescuing the rigs, arranging for highly skilled manpower and purchasing specially make mechanical spares and parts etc.
7. Was such a policy released to public especially those in concern. ie shareholders, rig owners, shortists.. ..
8. Which party insurances can be claimed, yard or rig sides, 50/50 or both.
9. Mechanism for the jack up leg was produced, installed, inspected, tested and commisioned by who, rig member or yard member or keen KPO?
10. Who would be the next scapegoat? Director level to worker level.
I remember those old days the rig management team do in charge of commissioning the mechanical and engine else the yard management team only assist them in executing such an activity.
As I said, in those old days... .. certain thing and procedure of such work trend may have changed. who know
And, the payer usually had a louder voice.. .. the rig side.