Same shit, different ship

[Mendip]

^ I can always do worse.

I'm getting pretty sick of porridge and tinned mackerel for breakfast to be honest, but I must have the lowest cholesterol ever recorded by now!



We're up in the Barents Sea now and while we were surveying a gas export pipeline from the Snøhvit field we passed Vår Energi's Goliat Spar Platform, a cylindrical platform especially designed for the harsh conditions up here. An oil tanker was loading up and if you look carefully, just to the right of the platform you can see the arse end of another DeepOcean vessel doing something or other.

The Goliat field is around 85km northwest of Hammerfest. I'm no linguist but I reckon 'Goliat' is Goliath. Sometimes I think that they just change the names for the sake of it.



While I was admiring Goliat I became aware of these 'booms' rattling through the boat, and looked astern...



And there was a seismic vessel passing by. We have to keep a 7 nautical mile clearance from seismic vessels since they tow 5km streamers behind and get mighty pissed off if a vessel obstruction forces them off the survey line. They cost a lot more than us, so we keep out of the way. Usually by speeding up or slowing down the survey a bit, any delay can be kept to a minimum.

The booms from their air guns were rattling through our ship every few seconds, even from that distance. More exploration hopefully equals more development work for us in the future, so all good. Norway have to keep the UK supplied with gas somehow.



I really must upgrade my phone to get a better camera. What's the chances of finding someone in Isaan who'd like to buy a second hand but modern Samsung S10+ with a new battery, that runs on Android 12 which is good for any and all banking apps? I'll even throw in the cover for free.

Anyway, not my pic. The Ramform Tethys, an interesting vessel.



The seismic survey vessels operate with a couple of chase boats up front, to keep other boats out of their way. With such long streamers towed behind, if they're forced off line it can take several hours to get back into position... and time is money and all that.

Back to my phone pics again... the chase boats up front.



We're now at the Snøhvit field, around 140km north west of Hammerfest. The bridge have apparently spotted a few whales but all I see whenever I go outside are seagulls. They must think that we're a fishing boat.



You've gotta admire them... 140km from land in the Barents Sea and it's brass monkeys outside. My chickens wouldn't last five minutes out there. I don't think they can even swim.





But it's not all beer and skittles. I have my flights for next week which initially cheered me up... Turkish Air, so metal cutlery. Yesterday I was attempting to fill out the new digital landing card things when I came to 'Visa Number', dug out my passport and discovered that my extension expired on June 12. What a bastard.

I'll be flying in next week, visa exempt on a one way flight. I am so sick of still having to piss around with immigration stuff in Thailand after all these years.

[malmomike77]

i wonder where all the teak comes from these days? a google suggests Burma, which can't be good from an ecological or political stand point

[Mendip]

Are you sure it's teak Mike?

I've never thought about it before but the Norwegians are usually pretty environmentally conscious... well apart from exporting oil and gas all around Europe, and the salmon farming... oh, and the whaling of course.

But they do have a lot of electric cars.

[malmomike77]

Are you sure it's teak Mike?

i'm not, just going by teak hisorically being used, could be iroko or another hardwood

[malmomike77]

and the whaling of course.

those fukers still haven't cleared up the mess they left in grytviken

[DrWilly]

Do you need an emirates spoon?

[malmomike77]

not really, the Qatar lounge saapoons are very good but thanks

[DrWilly]

Yeah, was asking Mendy.