Operations in Severe Climates

13 February 2007 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman Angus Lee, Acergy
Sponsored by Acergy

Evening Meeting Report by Angus Lee

Flyer

Presentations

Operations in Arctic Climate

Ove Tobias Gudmestad, Statoil, and Professor at Univerity in Stavanger and Svalbard

A discussion regarding surface versus subsea solutions is necessary in order to understand the needs of the offshore industry when it is expanding into even more severe climate than the northern North Sea and the Norwegian Sea, into the Sub-Arctic and Arctic regions. Main emphasis will be on drilling, production, transport and maintenance challenges, leading to the conclusion that operations will have to take place in severe weather when working in the Arctic region.

Erland Hovland, Acergy

In addition to the harsh environment, remoteness is believed to be one of the key challenges to be met as the subsea industry is moving north. Environmental issues have been given a lot of attention in recent years, and possible solutions in many key areas have been sketched out. Where wind chill is a challenge in the Arctic, head and sun are challenges in Africa. This presentation focused on the possible transfer of experience from operating in remote areas on the West Coast of Africa to operations in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic. There are many similarities between the two; transit distances from fabrications may be long , the local infrastructure is often poor, standby and rescue service may be non-existent and the local population is often indigenous.

Lessons Learned (2003–2006), Diving in Extreme Climates, Sakhalin Island, Russia

Phill Roberts, Principle Subsea Engineer, Shell UK

The maturing and exhausting of the world's existing oilfields is increasing the difficulty and cost of hydrocarbon recovery. In order to replenish and maintain reserves portfolios, operators are venturing into more hostile climatic areas in an effort to achieve this goal. The presentation gives some insight into Shell's experience in Sakhalin over the past few years and gives examples of some of the challenges encountered that are associated with the conducting of diving operations in the region.