Considering carrying oil workers by ship - Aftenbladet.no

oil industry is now looking at the possibility of carrying oil workers to the North Sea on ships or ferries instead of the helicopter, type TU.

goal is that cooperation W2W project will be started in February and be completed seven months later. The idea is that workers will go by boat to the platform via a “walkway” that can be jacked up.

Author and before the

– This has been discussed many times before. Each time it is concluded that it is not a good option, says Leif Sande, president of the trade union Industry Energy.

– The proposal often comes up after it has been a helicopter accident, says Sande.

In Norway, there were no fatal accidents involving helicopters since 1997. But on the UKCS have been several. Sande believes this is due to less emphasis on security than on the Norwegian continental shelf.

– Helicopter is safer

– Helicopter is the safest, most effective and best option as long as we have the attention of the strict security and good companies that operate helicopters, says Sande.

He knows not to report that now is the time.

– It is at all times 10,000 offshore workers on the job. If someone gets sick, they must be transported quickly to shore. when the helicopter needs.

– And who should pay for time on board, ask Sande.

Walk to Work

W2W – “Walk to Work” – is short, using sea vessels in the form of ferries and larger ships that will transport personnel to offshore installations.

project is led by the company DNV GL, which is the recent merger between the Norwegian Veritas and GL.

name of the measure, for the uninitiated give the impression that offshore workers on one show to go to work. The transport occurs naturally through ferry or ship, but the name has an explanation.

Teknologiutviklingeni project is to develop the walkway, which is the piece that connects a ship moving and fixed offshore installation to allow a safe transition for the staff.

Hamish Holt is chief consultant for DNV GL in the UK and believes the introduction in many cases can be a good alternative to current personnel transport. He believes that W2W fine may be relevant for Norwegian offshore installations.

– W2W will not be suitable for all types of installations, but it offers significant advantages for offshore operators and the workforce, says Holt to TU.

safer than a helicopter?

– An important point is that W2W is significantly safer than helicopters. The goal for us is to create an industry guidance to assist in the development of W2W solutions and maximize value W2W has potential, says Holt.S

As an alternative to helicopters, hotel ships and barges, GL, DNV will emphasize the use of the ferry or a larger multi-purpose ships to transport personnel on board.

Multipurpose Ship with helipad and crane facilities should therefore be used to a greater extent than today. According to DNV GL’s press release, the W2W installations already been adopted, but with varying success.

These are their words “not an attempt to reinvent the wheel” but to create a well-proven common platform for the industry.

– A W2W-operation can be used to operate several installations in the area. Where there are several manned and unmanned installations in an area, a W2W boat will be used to move staff within an area while carrying heavier loads. W2W larger vessels will have significant storage capacity and can therefore be used for the storage of spare parts and consumables, says Holt.

Broad interest in the industry

Holt from launch in October was met with high interest W2W initiative.

– We have been in contact with oil and gas operators, offshore wind farms, developers of crosswalks and shipbuilders who all have shown a willingness to associate with the measure. In January we will continue to seek out participants and while going through the process by clarifying terms, says Holt.