OCTOBER 2000 NEWSLETTER

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 ERRVA Shakes up BPs JIGSAW

Jeremy Daniels of the Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel Association can usually be seen at offshore operational and safety conferences, presenting papers designed to combat the Operator's primary objective which seems to be, to reduce the numbers of SBVs/ERRVs in the field. They would probably say that they are only  making the best use of the available resources.

Now BP's Jigsaw Project has really given the ERRVA something to talk about and Jeremy Daniels fired the latest salvo in this spirited sea battle at the famous Leith International Safety Conference, which for the first time took place in Aberdeen. He had go at the performance standards used by BP and the survival times for personnel in the sea, as determined by HSE research.

The trick here is to recover some-one from the sea before they die, and the two hour standard which is set by BP may not achieve that. There seems to be a call for some sort of voting process to determine whether the BP proposal might be acceptable, as opposed to the proof to be provided by the duty-holder that they can rescue personnel from the water in "all foreseeable events." On balance it might be better to stick to proof rather than opinion, particularly if what Jeremy Daniels says about recovery times into helicopters is true.

The subject is also discussed in this months Offshore Support Journal.

Probably people in any part of the world other than Northern Europe won't be the slightest bit interested in this saga, but there we are. We have included one or two additional ERRVs in the ship particulars. Some of them would have other uses if BP were successful!

 TIDEWATER GOES ON BUYING SPREE

It was reported in the excellent Seabrokers Market Report, and doubtless elsewhere in the maritime press that Tidewaters have had their cheque book out again. The majority of the purchases have been from Sanko the Japanese shipowners whose ships have been managed by Gulf Offshore.

They have already purchased the UT745 formerly known as the Ace Navigator and now Russell Tide (See PSV details on this site) and the UT755 Gargano.

The latest purchases include the Ace Nature - sister ship of Ace Navigator and three UT755s, Mercury Bay, Monarch Bay and Torm Kestrel. In addition they have added four KMAR404s to their fleet, the Leopard Bay the Torm Heron, the Maersk Detector and Maersk Dispatcher. The President and Chief Executive of Tidewater is quoted as saying "The acquisition of these eight high quality vessels...........will propel Tidewater into the leading ranks of companies able to service the deepwater market."

One assumes form this statement that somewhere in their new building programme are some deep water anchor handlers, since despite their burly design, the KMAR404s appear to have been developed as a middle of the road sort of ship, with winches which make them most suitable for what are now seen as shallow water activities. 

 BP MOVES ON TO NEXT PHASE OF OPERATION JIGSAW

BP's proposals to replace ERRVs (Standby vessels) with helicopters, has, they have announced, reached its next phase which is further consultation with the workforce.

The helicopters are apparently to be distributed one in the far North, one in the Shetland Basin, on in the central North Sea and one on the southern North Sea with back-up helicopters at Aberdeen at Great Yarmouth. The workforce have apparently proposed that enhanced ERRVs be provided at the same locations as the helicopters.

BP are going to source and equip an suitable helicopter which is apparently going to take twelve to fifteen months and then carry out trials for a further six to twelve months. The workforce are to be consulted about the trials and the enhanced ERRV.

It looks as if it is going to be quiet for a considerable time!

FOR INDEX OF NEWS AND VIEWS CLICK HERE