Rig Support Vessel In Trouble

[30mRad]

Found this on the BBC News News Website.

Sort of thing you'd have a Nimrod over the top to coordinate rescue efforts, provide SAR cover to said rescue efforts, and act as Re-bro......

By all accounts the swell is 9m so individuals will have to be lifted off one-by-one.

Wonder if those at the top will be regretting binning Nimord MR2 and MRA4, more so if this develops into a tragedy.

BBC News - Oil unit anchor chains fail in stormy North Sea

[Mad_Mark]

That is NOT a rig 'support' vessel, it is a large (having flown past it a few times I'll even say very large) production ship

MadMark!!!

[Big Tudor]

At 260m long with a beam of 40m, Gryphon Alpha is a hell of a lot bigger than a rig support vessel. It is what is known as FPSO, floating production, storage and offloading vessel. Basically an oil rig on a ship.

Hope the outcome is successful for all concerned.

[Slfsfu]

Rigs drill for oil; Platforms/FPSO's produce, process and transport it - Don't worry, after 40 years of UKCS Oil & Gas operations, the BBC continue to make this mistake!! (everything is an "oil rig")

9m sea is rough but she (and all platforms) are designed for 30m (aka "100 year storm"). Though, as you say, an interesting winch ride.

I'm sure she'll be fine, there is redundancy in the mooring

[30mRad]

I bow to those with far more extensive knowledge and training in boat (pronounced bow-at) recognition. In my previous job we never got close enought to grey funnel stuff to recognise it! Either way, hope all ok.

[diginagain]

There's an aircraft currently on task. The conditions of my license preclude discussing c/s, but there'll be enough guys down the back to help out.

[sonas]

Aye thats magic!

[diginagain]

Something along those lines!

[Bannock]

How many ASRs and Dinghy pairs has it got ?

[Dave Angel]

Originally Posted by sonas

Aye thats magic!

Good for them if thats the case, glad they were airborne

Be difficult to hold a SAR standby though when you need 24hrs notice to fly

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by Bannock

How many ASRs and Dinghy pairs has it got ?

Hardly relevant in this instance, since the vessel will have lifeboats with a capacity of 200% of the POB, plus the same capacity in liferafts, should it be unable to downman by primary means ie helicopter.

But your point is well made.

[30mRad]

My understanding is that said aircraft was not airborne but tasked to get airborne to support at the request of the RCC. Not quite the same as scrambling SAR 1 at RS60. Would be v different if it was Piper Alpha 2.

[Mad_Mark]

Strange but I thought we had been told that there would be a C130 on perm SAR standby after the Nimrod was taken out of service. If the C130 was deemed good enough to replace the Nimrod for the SAR role then why wasn't that aircraft used?

MadMark!!!

[30mRad]

Not sure we have enough C130s for current operational tasks let alone SAR stand-by. My understanding was the C130 carrys out that role in the Falklands, but would only be tasked for SAR cover for trails, not your usual routine on stand-by stuff. Perhaps a Herc mate can confirm?

[Green Flash]

How many ASRs and Dinghy pairs has it got ?

Hmmm, would be interesting to discuss how easy it would be to climb into the aforementioned with a 9m swell going. And a blowing a hooley. At night. In the North Sea. In February. Might be better to drop flares? Happy to be corrected and I am not for one second suggesting that we should't try to help, just wondering how easy it would be. I suppose the fact that all the oilies have been in the dunker might help (allthough did these guys actually go out with the ship?)

[Fareastdriver]

I suppose the fact that all the oilies have been in the dunker might help

The FPSO stays out there all the time. The crew has to do the dunker because they are rotated by helicopter.

[davejb]

Two points:

The RS60 SAR - not that long ago SAR got airborne in rather less than that.... SAR standby, for Nim crews, had already been somewhat reduced from what it had been in the past, with crews in the mess and so forth for the duration after a morning on the Sqn. (This is not a criticism or anything like that of the crews, I might add). The SAR fry up breakfast was particularly welcome after a long, uninterrupted kip in the mess. (Hearts were shattered if the hooter went and messed the breakfast ritual up).

114 POB - where the Nimrod would have really come into its own is if they'd all had to abandon ship, and the race to winch everyone to safety had required multiple helos, nearby shipping to be conned in, flight deconfliction of the helos, and so forth. Luckily not needed this time, but there is a worrying feeling in my bones, at least, that it's a matter of when rather than if.

Dave

[shawshank]

114 POB - where the Nimrod would have really come into its own is if they'd all had to abandon ship, and the race to winch everyone to safety had required multiple helos, nearby shipping to be conned in, flight deconfliction of the helos, and so forth. Luckily not needed this time, but there is a worrying feeling in my bones, at least, that it's a matter of when rather than if.

Davejb, no need to have a feeling in your bones, had there been a need to con nearby ships in and deconflict helos then the military asset that was on-scene was more than capable of covering all those tasks. They also managed to scramble in just over an hour from receiving orders to do so.

[Shell Management]

It is a good thing that the oil industry fund their own SAR assests to supplement the UK's Search Austerity Rescue service.

[Finnpog]

Can we now start a sweepstake for how long it will take a Grown Up or politico to spin a story to the media about how the world is as safe, if not safer, than before and that we have sufficient assets on hand.

Credit to the gang who are up there being busy.