US Offshore Oil Workers Flee as Storm Approaches Gulf of Mexico
U.S. energy companies on Thursday began airlifting workers from Gulf of Mexico oil production platforms and moved vessels from the path of what could become a devastating hurricane by the weekend.A storm is brewing in the Caribbean Sea and is forecast to grind through the main oil-producing region of the Gulf. It could become a major hurricane ahead of landfall on the central Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. Hurricanes with winds of up to 111 miles (178 km) per hour are classified as major and can bring devastating damage onshore.BHP…
Cyclone Tauktae: Rescue Op Launched for 81 Offshore Oil Workers after Barge Sinks off Mumbai
The Indian Navy mounted a massive air and sea rescue mission on Tuesday for 81 missing oil workers and crew whose barge sank in heavy seas following a powerful cyclone that tore up the west coast of the country.Around 180 of those on board the barge were rescued from the water as it sank off Mumbai. Efforts had started to move crew stuck on a second barge that was driven aground by the storm, the navy said."There are waves of 20 to 25 feet, the winds are high and the visibility is low," said navy spokesman Vivek Madhwal.
Five New Ships Poised to Transform US Maritime Training
For professional maritime training, the 2020 holiday season was bright indeed. In a world clutching for optimism, officials from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) made a series of announcements that will strengthen, expand and intensify America’s maritime academic programs—really the maritime industry—for at least the next decade, likely much longer. Consider this string of news:On December 15, MARAD announced cutting steel for the first new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) at Philly Shipyard Inc.…
Oil Workers Sue Shell over GoM Platform Fire
Three offshore oil workers filed a lawsuit against units of Royal Dutch Shell and Enbridge, seeking $1 million in damages for injuries they allegedly received during a Nov. 8 fire on a U.S. Gulf of Mexico production platform. The suit, filed in Galveston County court in Texas on Dec. 5, claims safety lapses on Shell's Enchilada platform caused severe injuries to the three. The complaint seeks more than $1 million in damages from Shell International Exploration and Production, Shell Offshore…
Rig Workers Evacuated after North Sea Blaze
Helicopters flew to the rescue of offshore oil workers on Sunday after a large blaze broke out on a remote oil platform in the North Sea between Britain and Norway. The Swedish company which owns the Thistle Alpha platform, Lundin Petroleum, said the fire had been extinguished in under three hours and that no one had been injured. Around 117 personnel were airlifted to safety, while 42 staff remained on board, a coastguard spokesperson said. Five British and two Norwegian helicopters were involved in the rescue operation, which also included a Nimrod plane from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Kinloss in northeast Scotland. The rig employs 159 people and is based 120 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland.
KISS: A Success for Schat-Harding
Schat-Harding has seen offshore sector business boom on the back of a hundred new KISS systems ordered for projects world wide. Examples of recent contracts include six KISS800 boats and FAD 1000 davits and winches for Mexico's Pemex and two KISS boats and davits for Brasil's Petrobras. "KISS has been a huge success," says Hans Martin Hjelmeland, offshore manager for Schat-Harding. "Many offshore contractors want the robust simplicity that KISS offers. "Service and upgrading for the rig market has also been busy recently. We have been chosen for several contracts by Transocean, refurbishing old MCR lifeboats to the latest regulations and also to supply new MCB lifeboats for Transocean's Polar Pioneer and Transocean Artic," explains Hjelmeland.
