Aker BP Restarts Production at Alvheim Field After Unexpected Downtime
Norwegian oil company Aker BP has restored production at Alvheim field, causing an oil spill during the process of starting up the production vessel located in the central North Sea. The downtime resulted from a malfunction in new equipment installed during maintenance activities in the previous quarter, causing a deferral of approximately one month in the production from the Alvheim area, Aker BP said. The oil spill from the Alvheim production vessel on November 29 occurred in connection with starting up the field following an unplanned production shutdown, where one well was producing.
Oil Spill Cleanup Device Tailored for the Arctic
A new oil spill response device capable of cleaning up spills in arctic conditions has been launched in an effort to bolster Norway’s spill preparedness.The new device, dubbed Arctic FoxTail, is a winterized version of H. Henriksen’s standard Foxtail vertical adhesion band (VAB) skimmer, which filters out oil spills from the seawater using its sorbent mops. The system is capable of salvaging large quantities of oil after a spill, without much unnecessary water.Tonsberg-based H.
Maritime Broadband Radio: First Wireless Network at Sea
Norway has become the first nation to implement maritime broadband communication on ships and planes in public service, enabling exchange of information that can be crucial in limiting damage when accidents occur. Kongsberg Seatex and Radionor have teamed up to develop Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR), which the Norwegian companies say is, in contrast to previous systems, highly stable and has extensive reach. Among other capabilities, MBR also enables streaming of HD-video. MBR does not require an internet connection to connect units in the network…
Lamor Demos New Oil Recovery System
In mid-February, Lamor Corporation demonstrated a new way to recover oil by deploying the Lamor Marine Oil Spill Sweeper LMOS 15 Speed Skimming system in Halifax, Canada in cooperation with their local representative, Griffin Engineered Systems, for Canadian response organizations and companies, represented by Eastern Canada Response Corporation (ECRC), Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Defense (DND), ALERT and RMI Marine. Despite the harsh weather conditions Halifax harbor that day…
Statoil Awards ERRV Contracts
Statoil awards Simon Møkster Shipping AS contracts for three emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV), and Havila Shipping ASA for one ERRV. The contacts have a total value, included options, of NOK 2.7 billion. The vessels will be part of Statoil’s area-wide emergency response on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The emergency response vessels play an important role in addressing government authorities’ and the company’s own requirements for rescue, hospital, fire-fighting, emergency towing and oil spill preparedness. “Statoil has an extensive emergency preparedness system on the NCS, and through the contracts we have secured four vessels that are tailored to our waters.
North Sea Trials for Inter-vessel Communications
The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA), Norwegian Coast Guard and the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) took part in a full-scale trial of Kongsberg Maritime’s Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR) inter-vessel communication system in the North Sea this June. During the North Sea exercise MBR was used as the communication platform for data exchange and coordination of simultaneous operations. Units were mounted on multiple operational assets, including a plane that streamed real-time surveillance video directly to the vessels…
Elastec/American Named Distributor for OceanEye Oil Spill Aerial Surveillance System
When Elastec/American Marine managed the controlled burn operation in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the response operation was more efficient when aerial surveillance was available. Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were frequently employed in the search for oil, but those alternatives proved costly and were also unavailable at night. In other scenarios, limitations such as fog, heavy rains or snow may make flying impractical and unsafe for the flight crew. Valuable time may be lost preparing and filing flight plans…
Consilium Oil Spill Radar Tested
During three days of extensive testing, the advanced capability of Consilium’s oil spill radar to detect oil slicks has been successfully verified. The sea trials were part of an exercise in order to certify satisfactory safety and efficiency in oil spill response operations. The operation was conducted by the Norwegian Clean Seas Association For Operating Companies (NOFO), from June 8 – 10, 2010. With the permission of the Norwegian Coast Guard, the Consilium Selesmar Selux ST 340 radar display and a 12kW 9ft antenna radar sensor were temporally installed on the Vessel KV Bergen.
NOIA Member Deepwater Horizon Response
As BP, the National Response Team, and an army of volunteers respond to the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico, NOIA member companies are lending their resources in an unprecedented cooperative effort to stop the flow of oil and prevent further damage to the environment. These resources include land-based and offshore facilities, aircraft, marine vessels, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), a containment dome, subsea tooling, subsea video, dispersant, personnel, and technical expertise on suction systems, blowout preventers, dispersant injection, well construction, containment options, subsea wells, environmental science, emergency response, spill assistance, well intervention, and drilling and well competence.
