Subsea Worksite Visualisation - A Step Change in Offshore Operations
Authors: MacKinnon Calum , Matthews David 
Published: October 2008

When emergency situations occur underwater, special methods and intervention tooling must be employed in a minimum time frame with maximum results. The readiness of a company to respond effectively under these circumstances can have significant impact when applied to projects performed in deepwater today and, in even more challenging physical and economic environments in the future.

The Scenarios

It was the week before Christmas, a Thursday evening and our Team was about to depart the office. We awaited our Senior Engineer who has been called to a Customer's office to discuss an unusual problem which we anticipated would require an overnight solution. Each Team member looked from watch to calendar wondering the impact of the closeddoor meetings.

Halfway around the globe, in deepwater, a rig experienced the potentially catastrophic failure of a drilling riser. For the next few hours we followed the email thread as our Operations Team discussed options to mitigate damage. We were on the fringe of the information loop when the phone rings and the familiar voice of our Senior VP of Technology was recognized. "You've heard, I suspect, about the problems the Operator is having?" And so began yet another mobilization of resources.

We had a warm Sunday morning, humidity just beginning to show and few others were taking advantage of the glorious day. The seven-foot putt had a slight right to left break but was otherwise a slam-dunk. Not quite a gimme but with a couple of dollars riding on it all thoughts were focused on the task at hand. As the putt was being addressed, the cell phone began ringing incessantly, with a familiar number flashing on the screen. Suddenly, confidence melted away followed by an insipid stroke and a radical break left. It was done, but already attention was on the phone. "The pipeline has dropped in 5400 feet of seawater, likely water intrusion and a break. We need immediate support both with tooling, personnel and vessels, can you help?"

Each of these scenarios was real. Each began with a phone call from a Customer experiencing a major setback in an offshore environment, and all of the difficulties were, as Murphy's Law suggests, taking place in harsh environments, far from logistical support and at the edge of current technology's ability to resolve.

In every instance, and to successfully support remediation efforts, a team of professionals with skill sets encompassing commercial, engineering, operations, and logistical support was drafted into action. In turn, the Team pulled in resources to support fabrication, testing, transportation, and mobilization of people and hardware globally. Availability of time, or ability to meet a demanding schedule was a contract driver, often as important as the technical solution.

Every Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) or associated engineering company assumes they can respond to Customer's requirements when fasttrack or emergency intervention is required. Outside the ROV world but associated with the oilpatch are several names synonymous with quick response capability. In the ROV industry there is a small market niche with few companies having the resources to provide turnkey solutions with a global reach.