^^^^ Yeah, you're quite right Shutree. Just have to adapt.


Quote Originally Posted by ootai View Post
Maybe HSE had a point about 12 weeks being too long on a boat especially for the elderly.
Hmmmph...

But despite only 4 hours sleep I remain upbeat and my usual positive self, although with a lot of spare time tonight I did become a bit melancholic and worked out that if I live to be 70, this trip will be 1.5% of my remaining life. It makes you think.

Anyway, Mike77 mentioned that he wanted another competition, and I do have one. When I send 'Greens' I like to include a reppo comment and it would be just great to sometimes add a 'Smiley Face'. I've seen other people do this, but I get no Smiley toolbar option when I make a reppo comment. How can I do this? I would love to know... for a free Green!

I have spare time tonight as I'm a bit stuck and need some files from the office, which I will have to wait until daytime to get someone to email out to me. In the meantime I thought I'd mention why we're going to the Black Sea.

There's been lots of news lately about the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline which will enable Russia to export gas to Europe (Germany) avoiding transit through Ukraine.

In 2020 Russia's Gazprom began exporting gas through the Turkstream pipeline from Krasnodar in Russia, across the Black Sea, to Kiyiköy in Turkey. It was no accident that the route of this pipeline skirted Ukraine's southern boundary of the Black Sea without encroaching on it, which would have been more direct. The new Turkstream pipeline is routed to the west of the older Bluestream pipeline, also across the Black Sea from Krasnodar to Samsun in Turkey. I worked on a Blue Stream inspection project back in 2006.



And a bit of advertising gumpf...

TurkStream

We will be inspecting the entire offshore length of Turkstream from approximately 16 metres water depth at either landfall, which is the minimum water depth we can work in. The offshore length is approximately 924 kilometres. The system comprises two parallel 32in gas pipelines, thereby giving us a grand total of 1848km of pipeline to inspect. For those that don't know, subsea pipelines are constructed from 12 metre pipe lengths (field lengths), each one welded to the next at what is termed a field joint. We have to inspect and log every single field joint. The water depth across the Black Sea goes down to a maximum of around 2200 metres, which with such a long length of umbilical out will severely restrict ROV survey speed. This, along with a few other considerations is why the project is scheduled to take around 8 weeks. It isn't as simple as heading across to Russia on one pipeline and then returning on the other.

The other considerations include the need to survey landfall approach areas in the up-slope direction, and also to deal with Russian immigration officials (stamped in and out) as efficiently as possible... and these guys could teach the Thais a thing or two. There will also be a couple of crew changes to fit in... there will be one at 2 weeks, another at 6 weeks and the last at the end of the project. I plan to get meself off this damn boat at the six week crew change scheduled for November 20th. Then a trip to the UK, a final Pfizer shot and back home without the need for ASQ. What can possibly go wrong!

Anyway, so that's the job. It's not a great one, but inspection work is the bread and butter and although monotonous is always there... through thick or thin. The Black Sea is particularly boring work as below 150 metres water depth the water is anoxic and completely devoid of life. The seabed is dead and lifeless and comprises a foul smelling sulfurous sludge, so there won't even be any exotic deep water fish to distract ourselves with. The ROV needs hosing down every time it comes back to deck.

But mustn't grumble!