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Good to know he's (presumably) okay. Was a prolific and interesting poster on here a 15 years ago, then unfortunately went through a bad and serious mental patch, his father was either on the forum or came out to Thailand to try to help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
^^ To be honest Helge, I may be a lot of things but 'overpaid' is certainly not one of them.
I earnt a similar day rate in working off West Africa around 10 years ago, and I reckon in real terms, I was earning more in the 1990s without thirty years experience. This is one reason I lose sympathy with the doctors in the UK asking for a 35% pay rise to 'cover past depreciation'. Everyone has had depreciation of wages over the past decade or so.
Offshore day rates in my part of the industry aren't significantly greater than in the 1980s, sadly before I started working. So what's that... in real terms now maybe worth about a third? Back then, guys set themselves up for life after 10 years offshore but certainly not these days. I'd like to say that it doesn't bother me... but it pisses me off, to be honest.
^ I know nothing about that but he's fine now, they don't let just anyone go offshore. I had a road trip up to Savannakhet with Rawlins a few years ago while he was getting a Non O. He said I should join TD and that he would start posting again... although he didn't keep up his part of the bargain!
I'll argue that you were highy overpaid back then, then :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
Nah, I wouldn't mind your few months away from home and then being fulltime "Hausfrau" for the rest of the year
Past decade ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
Try with 'since early seventies' !
We have voted for the wrong pigs, mate
Back when I was a kid there would be one static filled phone that you had to queue for (or nip into the bosses office while he was out).Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
Well at least thats what my dad said :smileylaughing:
Indeed. When I first started working offshore, personal phone calls had to be made via Stonehaven radio, hence they had to be really important to be made and completely not private.Quote:
Originally Posted by armstrong
Make the most of it before AI takes over. :D
There was a phone system when I started, and you were allowed one phone call a week from a phone up on the bridge. You had to shout to be heard above the crackling... with the entire bridge crew listening in. No privacy whatsoever.Quote:
Originally Posted by PAG
For news we relied on guys bringing out newspapers at crew changes. I used to enjoy the end of year news round-ups on the TV as I'd discover major news stories that had occurred during the year, that I'd completely missed.
Gullfaks B with Gullfaks A behind. An 8am crew change happening at Gullfaks B...
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...2&d=1699014257
I absolutely hate helicopters but I guess on the plus side, theoretically you could finish a nightshift, eat some breakfast and be having a pint at Bergen airport by 10am.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...3&d=1699014266
I think I'd still rather wait until the boat goes alongside for my crew change.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...4&d=1699014280
The offshore windfarm that powers the Gullfaks and Statfjord fields, amongst others I would think. The Visund field is also nearby. Equinor are currently in the midst of electrifying their platforms which can apparently reduce the platforms' carbon footprint by around 50%. This is usually achieved by laying electric power cables from shore which is my preferred method as it creates a lot of survey work. I don't know of any other offshore mini windfarms that power platforms but I do know that there were a lot of problems with these. The turbines are on floating platforms and apparently in strong winds they lean over a lot, thus reducing efficiency. I'm sure that these teething problems will be ironed out, however.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...5&d=1699014288
And another innovation that I've never seen before... magnetic frames that hold notices up on the bulkheads. I may try and get one for my fridge at home.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...6&d=1699014298
But nothing is fool-proof, of course!
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...7&d=1699014306
you can download all the porn flicks and the family will be none the wiser :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
May yer rod laver,Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
Zach Galifianakis: ?Who?s the Boss Now?? - Full Special - YouTube
I guess you can't expect nice weather in the northern North Sea in November and this will be as good as it gets.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...6&d=1699102740
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...7&d=1699102750
The weather is due to come up so we need to get all the close to platform work completed before that happens.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...8&d=1699102760
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...9&d=1699102772
Glad you are back in the saddle again.
You mention it's survey work, will it be a standard 6 months/annual .... survey , or are you surveying for an unusual event issue?
I ask as a recent issue on a pipeline was possibly due to a ships anchor dragging, causing damage.
sent through the chinkie de-propagandiser :)Quote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
ah so that was the real questionQuote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
How do you get on that if you arrive by boat?
Typical method is by 'Billy Pugh', essentially a rope basket with a floating ring that's suspended from an installation crane. People hold onto the rope basket from the outside (never the inside), and are lifted onto a suitable landing area on the installation (normally the helideck). Obviously this can only take place within certain weather parameters (wind speed, wave height etc), but is quite common. Here's a stock photo:Quote:
Originally Posted by armstrong
https://i.imgur.com/1oIsrOL.jpg
Wow! I suppose some would get used to it, but others never would.
Yeah, that’s a hard no from me
You throw your bags in the middle and wrap your arms through/around the mesh and clasp your wrists
It is only a bit wild approaching or leaving the work boat in rough weather or if you a going onto a floating platform that is moving a bit in weather
A bit of an amusement ride really
I haven't seen a basket transfer in the North Sea in many years... decades even. At least not in the Norwegian Sector. I think that HSE has ended that practice in this part of the world, apart from maybe in emergencies.
The helidecks on these Gullfaks platforms are more than 100m above sea level and these days I would be most reluctant to take part in a basket transfer. Many years ago I took a basket down from the Oseberg A platform helideck to the back deck of a boat from a similar height as these Gullfaks helidecks, and I'll not be doing that again.
When working in West Africa, boat to boat basket transfers are common and I expect that transfers between the much lower platforms in that part of the world and boats are also commonplace.
In answer to Armstrong's question, no-one arrives at these platforms by boat for crew changes... everything is done by helicopter.
We are carrying out what they call 'well integrity surveys' at the three Gullfaks platforms. This involves performing detailed bathymetric surveys along the seabed above the paths of the the sub-seabed wellhead bores, to compare seabed level with data from previous years. If there was any hydrocarbon leakage (which there isn't) it could cause bulges in the seabed which we would detect before any actual leakage from the seabed occurs. During these surveys we're also collecting sub-bottom data (shallow seismic) within the upper 20m or so of sediments with the same aim of detecting any anomalies that could be caused by leakage (which there isn't).Quote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
But... I should have said we 'were' carrying out... because we've finished at Gullfaks and are now off to Troll.
Out of interest, the Troll A platform is the tallest structure that has ever been moved to another position, relative to the surface of the Earth, at least at the time of installation (472 metres). And incidentally, the Gullfaks C platform is the heaviest structure that has ever been moved to another position, relative to the surface of the Earth (displacement of between 1.4 and 1.5 million tons).
Do you worry that AI could do most of your job soon?
Not offshore but overseas, I never got or stuck out 10 years in a row. Also at the time not looking at the big picture.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
https://datis-inc.com/wp-content/upl...-June-9-01.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Mendip
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dx9uKUUJCjI/maxresdefault.jpg
Apparently what it would look like on land.
https://equinor.industriminne.no/wp-...972-scaled.jpg
https://www.energyvoice.com/wp-conte...04/troll-A.jpg
:bigeyes:
I suppose such sturdiness is required should Mendy be heli-lifted on to it? :)
Do you have a link to your source?Quote:
Originally Posted by malmomike77
False accusation noted. Allowed to remain posted by TD mods.
Thanks Mendip. Are these types of surveys carried out on a fixed time scale for all subsea pipelines and "facilities'?
^ a question you could ask the government's and insurers
Oh you barsteward your going straight to hell for that needless quip about mendips girth:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Edmond
^ He doesn't mean it.
Here's a pic of Troll A... sadly our work is round Troll B and Troll A is the platform in the background, several kilometres away. Like an iceberg, most of Troll A is underwater and it doesn't look as impressive as shown in Edmond's pictures. Troll B in the foreground is a semi-sub, meaning that it's a floating structure in this case tethered to the seabed by means chains to suction anchors.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...0&d=1699178526
Not really, although to be fair I don't really understand AI. At the moment I think the biggest threat is Starlink that may enable the streaming of vast amounts of data to shore where it could be handled in offices. It is certainly changing times but I will hopefully get another 10 years out of this industry. That's what I'd like.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrWilly
As Baldrick mentioned, it's all government and insurance controlled. The operators need their pipelines inspected to get the government stamp to keep pumping gas and oil. Some clients take this seriously and want a good job done that may provide a lot of useful information, others just want the bare minimum to keep operating.Quote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
There is usually a four year programme for the majority of pipelines, however exposed pipelines in platform 500m zones are usually visually inspected every year. Vulnerable sections of pipelines, such as within shallow water shipping lanes or across rocky, uneven seabed may also be inspected every year.
^
Thank you for the info.
Seems enough to keep you busy in the future.
Daybreak at Troll C.
https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...2&d=1699255696
Calm seas, from the looks of it.
Indeed, and quite placid.Quote:
Originally Posted by happynz
^^^Looks quite Christmassy
:pullsleigh:
Quote:
Originally Posted by happynz
Not very high waves either.Quote:
Originally Posted by bsnub
Given Mendy's years of experience, I'd imagine all's well in all swell.
How unusual is that for a calm sea?Quote:
Originally Posted by cyrille
Not veryQuote:
Originally Posted by Molle
It's obviously the Mendip weather effect....Quote:
Originally Posted by malmomike77
knowing that I will get flamed by all and sundry
I posit that mendy just had a swim
How's the Northern Lights up there these days ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by helge
Thet were pretty good in the UK last night unusually.