Offshore Construction

Construction Offshore

An oil or gas platform is always under the constant strain of nature, from raging storms to calm weather. The corrosive effect of the constant salt spray eventually takes its toll on even the most heavily protected oil rig. The production facilities piping and valves degrade a lot faster than they would on the mainland and the structural integrity is constantly being monitored for critical weaknesses. In addition a watchful owner of an oil / gas platform may consider it a wise investment to upgrade their platforms effectiveness. This could mean the oil production system, structure or accommodation requires new parts and modifications to be made.

In the 1970s and 1980s oil platforms tended to have offshore construction workers on board as part of the core crew entity. Unfortunately cost cutting measures and health and safety policies have meant almost all rigs only keep a select few construction crew members on board nowadays. However it has meant that when a new upgrade / replacement system of parts is needed the whole platform conducts what is known as a 'Shutdown.' Oil / Gas production ceases during this period, although pre-shutdown work may mean work is carried out on a 'live' platform. This is usually setting up areas with equipment and transporting new parts to where they'll be worked on during the shutdown. Whole armies of construction workers are called for during a shutdown and as many as 200 or more workers may be on a rig during this time. As the work is now project-based it can mean a steady flow of work during the peak seasons of late spring, summer to early winter. A typical shutdown on a platform may be as short as a week or as long as a month or more, consisting of several trips to the same oil rig.

Offshore platform construction crews are a pretty mixed bunch although in some parts of the world certain regions tend to specialize in working in the offshore industry. An example of this is in the North Sea where a majority tend to be from the north / north-east of England and Scotland.

Construction Crews on Platforms

The offshore construction crews are usually time-served tradesmen (five years or more) and to actually get work in the offshore sector you almost always need to know someone who is 'on the inside' so to speak. It can be a case of 'not what you know but who you know.' This term is often bandied about the platforms.
The tradesmen themselves tend to be: Electricians, Painters, Pipefitters, Platers, Riggers, Scaffolders, Welders and Instrument Technicians.
A 'gray' area or 'Black Art' trade that often work hand in hand with the above workers are Rope Access Technicians who abseil about conducting painting, inspection, rigging and other tasks in areas that are inaccessible by normal means.

Construction folk are generally a rough and ready bunch and can tend to form a 'guild' of sorts when they all come together on an oil or gas platform. The platers, riggers, pipefitters and welders often have to work very closely together as jobs that need doing may require a degree of coordination to be successful. A perfect example of this is a large pipe (called a spool in offshore speak) that needs installing. It may well require scaffolders to erect scaffold, riggers to transport and lift it into position, pipefitters to install the spool and then welders to weld it in place. Afterwards an inspector (who may use rope access techniques) will inspect the weld for deficiencies.

It would be unfair to not mention the Deck Crew, although they are not usually contract workers (they tend to core crew) they are construction / support workers in principle. They are the crane operators, slinger / banksmen and helideck crews. These workers are essential to bringing aboard fresh supplies and materials essential to an offshore platforms continuing operation. The cooks and stewards who see to the nourishment and cleanliness on board are also vital to continuing operations on board a platform.

Offshore Production Crews

Production crews on board a rig generally make up the bulk of the core crew. That is say the oil workers who are working on a particular platform week in week out, going on shore leave before returning to the same platform. Some workers may of only seen a single platform in their whole career! The production crew on board an oil / gas platform are responsible for the day to day running of the plant and machinery. Most of the controls that see to the processing of the Hydro Carbons (proper name for oil / gas extracted) are dealt with from the abtly named Control Room. It is here that acts as a hub for many activities, not least radio communications with work parties and the mainland. Once the Hydrocarbons have been processed and some mild refinement of the extracted minerals may take place before they are sent back to the mainland via sub-sea pipeline.

The command structure for Production Crews Offshore is slightly different from the others.

OIM - Offshore Installation Manager, he / she is in overall charge of all activities on the platform. They may have to liase with a company rep for the oil operator. There also may be a deputy OIM. OIMs don't tend to be drawn from the technician pool. Some have many years of experience in responsible mangerial positions on the mainland. Others may of been the Skipper on board a cargo vessel.

Projects Manager - Senior manager on the platform who is responsible for seeing the OIMs orders carried out and overseeing the workforce.

Instrument Technicians - These workers could be considered the backbone of the platform. Although the main controls are housed in the Control Room, technicians are often required to roam the production areas to continually check readings, gauges and carry out other technical taskings.

Production Operators - These workers could be considered the backbone of the platform. Acting as both maintenance and technical oversight when needed they effectively operate the platform in processing the oil and gas.

Offshore Drill Crews

Working on a drill crew offshore is often intense hard work. Shouting, swearing and loud machine noise is commonplace. Unlike working in most production areas of an offshore platform drill crews are exposed to the elements working in and on the pipe and drill deck. A further factor is that time off for lunch breaks and breaks in general is usually a lot shorter than construction and core crews are.

A typical offshore drill crew is made up of:

The Lead Driller or Driller - The leader of the drill crew. He has usually worked his way up from the bottom of the drill crew and knows all the jobs inside out. Performs the most important work by controlling the drill itself via a complex set of controls from inside the drill control room (Dog House). Often has to liaise with the Toolpusher (The overall man in charge of the platforms drill activities).

The Assistant Driller - Assists the Driller and is usually only found on larger drill crews.

The Derrickman - Usually second in command to the Driller if on a small drill platform. Stands atop the 'Monkey Board' part-way up the derrick itself, he ensures the drill pipes are lowed and raised as necessary. A fingerboard is used to store drill pipe and he is often considered to have the hardest and most dangerous job on the drill floor.

Roughnecks - The backbone of the drill crew, essentially operating and manipulating the drill equipment into the necessary positions from the pipe deck, up to the drill floor and into position etc.

Roustabouts - The lowest rank on a drill crew, responsible for routine, mundane tasks in a general labour sense, as well as assisting the Roughnecks in day to day activities,

Assisting the drill crew may be geophysicists, mudloggers and marine surveyors.

Without an offshore platforms or FPSO's drill crew or there would be no oil or gas coming in from offshore. Operating from the pipe deck and drill floor of the 'Derrick' area large sections of drill pipe are added first onto the diamond tipped boring drill which is lowered down the 'drill string' or the outer drill pipe into the wellhead (located on the sea bed) more drill pipe is added as the derrick mechanism (pushes down 'gently' on the current section of drill pipe) lowers the section of drill pipe until another section needs adding. Contrary to what many believe drill crews do not stay on one particular rig permanently like the core crew does. After having drilled the necessary depth or completed a deadline they normally move onto another platform periodically. After a predetermined time the drill crew will return to drill some more thus ensuring that the oil continues to flow.

History of Offshore Platforms

To understand about offshore platforms you have to know the history:

North Sea - UK Sector

Dawning of the Oil Era

Following finds of gas onshore in Holland and Eastern England in the 1950s it was noticed that the geological rock content was similar. When a huge gas find was made at Ten Boer near Groningen, Netherlands it set the stage for the North Sea Oil and Gas exploration. The Groningen Field was developed further and found to be a colossal discovery. Seizing on the theory that, in between the two countries in the North Sea more oil and gas might exist survey ships were sent forth. By the mid 1960s North Sea oil discoverys were being made offshore.
By the 1970s the central and northern North Sea sectors were being explored and huge discoveries were made, amazing all in the oil community and the public at large. In 1971 The mighty Brent oil field was among the first of the giant offshore oil fields discovered. In 1974 the Buchan oil field was found and by now offshore platforms were being constructed en mass in Northern England and Scotland. Although it wasn't until the price of oil had risen in the 1980s for further fields to be fully developed that the oil boom fully flowed.

Oil Boom

The oil finds in the North Sea were an economic blessing, indeed and could not of come sooner. The Middle-Eastern oil crisis that hit other countries hard was negated somewhat in the UK and Norway. So as government ministers held the 'black gold' (crude oil) aloft triumphantly, Aberdeen became the rising star of Scotlands cities as it was declared the oil capital of Europe. More than a few denizens became (and continue to become) wealthy on the influx of trade from the oil industry. In a short space of time its airport expanded to accommodated two heliports and upgrading to deal with the increased demand. Shetlands and the Orkneys too reaped the benefits as Oil and Gas Terminals began to spring up there. At Skatster a purpose built airport was constructed, acting as a way station for oil workers travelling to and from the northern North Sea Platforms. South of the border in England the gas discoveries in the southern North Sea sector saw a similar, albeit lesser effect on Great Yarmouth and surrounding areas.

Piper Alpha Disaster

Apart from some minor strike action (soon resolved) and average oil prices all seemed well in the North Sea during the 1980s. That was until 6th July, 1988 when disaster struck the Piper Alpha platform. The causes and reasons were like many tragedies; a combination of faults leading to the terrible a chain reaction of events. At the end of a busy dayshift an engineer going off-shift failed to pass on important information verbally, instead he left the work permit (detailing that a compressor was not to be activated) on the desk next to control room supervisor who absently filed it away.

As the nightshift began to start work the main compressor suddenly failed. Not wishing for the platforms drilling equipment to fail (very expensive) the duty control manager searched and found on a different file the secondary compressor was good for operation. It wasn't and soon gas began escape from the pipework. This resulted in a series of catastrophic explosions minutes later. Workers on the nearby Claymore and Tartan platform looked on in horror as the Piper Alpha erupted into flames. The heat and flame killed many, and the control room was destroyed paralysing the command structure and evactuation plans, although such was the heat and flame that launching of the rescue craft was impossible. Two fearless oil workers donned fire fighting gear and attempted a do-or-die mission below deck to manually activate the deluge system (A ferocious firefighting system which had controversially been deactivated due to divers working in the vicinity of the platform). They both rushed at speed into the flames never to be never seen again.
One survivor desperate to flee rushed onto the helideck where the heat instantly melted his hard hat as he plunged over 200 feet to the sea. Other survivors seeing the smoke begin to penetrate the 'safe refuge' module abandoned hope of helicopter rescue and took the plunge into the sea.

A Fast Rescue Craft from the Lowland Cavalier rescued several survivors but an explosion killed two of the crew thus blunting their efforts. The firefighting ship Tharos was driven off when the heat began to melt steel on board ship itself! It could only return after two hours of fighting the flames and the Tartans pipeline (feeding the flames) was ruptured. No rescue helicopter could risk landing land due high winds and further gas and pipeline rupture which caused flames of over 100 meters to soar up into the sky. The leaping survivors made a harsh but wise choice in abandoning the fireproof refuge, for about an hour later the entire accommodation module along with other parts of the platform crashed into the sea. Eventually the legendary oil firefighter Red Adair, fighting gale force winds put the flames out. 167 men were killed and there were only 62 survivors.

There had been an earlier oil platform disaster in 1980 when a Norwegian platform collapsed into the sea, but this was a structural issue whereas the Piper Alpha disaster resulted from a safety lapse, no matter how small the root. In the weeks that followed Royal Navy Demolition Divers detonated shaped charges on the subsea jacket of the Piper Alpha, thus allowing the North Sea to claim it.

It was a grim episode in the North Seas history and to this day many other oil workers that knew friends that perished on board remark upon it as the survivors still live with that harrowing night. The Cullen Report that followed concluded in 1990 that new safe systems of work offshore were needed. A massive fine was also levied against the Tartan Platforms operators for greedily not shutting off the pipelines (which fed Piper Alpha's fires greatly).

The North Sea Matures

Through the 1990s The North Sea sectors production increased but new discoveries fell. The safety factors from the Cullen Report saw fruition having been taken on board wholeheartedly by UKOOA (United Kingdom Offshore Oil Association). Reaching a peak in 1999 oil is now beginning to slacken off slightly. Production fell in 2004 by 10% and in 2005 to nearly 13%. The trend towards using FPSOs or Drill Ships took precedence from the old 'Hub and Satellite Platforms' that had led the way previously. Many now believe that the North Seas oil and gas has reached the half-way point of its life and production may fall by even greater margins. That said the North Sea still holds most of Europe's oil reserves and is one of the largest non-OPEC producing regions of the world. Indeed the intriguing nature of 'oil reservoir recovery' is now proving worthwhile. As when some newly leased platforms are re-activated and oil fields previously abandoned due to lack of oil have 'recovered' to levels worth extraction it presents a new avenue of approach. One company 'Talisman Energy' specialises in optimising extraction from such areas and has had very promising results from many of its projects. North Sea Safety continues to climb to new heights as the lofty goal of 'An Accident Free North Sea' is strived for and gains ground. The 21st Century see's the mighty three-platform Buzzard Installation ready and operating and further exploration from the oil companies is underway.

Speculation is rife on the future of the North Sea, what lies in wait can only be guessed at.

Offshore Life on a Platform

Life On An Offshore Rig

Offshore installations usually require a workforce to remain onboard for oil processing, maintanence and the day-to-day activities to run the installation effectively.

Offshore life can be harsh, uncompromising and difficult for some people to cope with. The weather can be anything from a becalmed sunny day to a raging storm. Whatever the weather, work often must be carried out. Facilities on board can range from state of the art with the latest in production systems to 3rd rate basic equipment that still functions and does the job.

Their is no such thing as a nine to five atmosphere on board an oil / gas installation. Personnel work in 12 hour shifts, back-to-back. In the North Sea day shift work begins at 0700 hrs and finishes at 1900 hrs and vice versa for night shift work.

Life on board a rig can be cramped, uncomfortable and lacking in creature comforts, conversely it may also be the opposite. Rooms tend to be shared cabins with bunk-beds, communal showers and a small television set.

Welfare is another variable entity! In the early days of Offshore Installations the welfare provided wasn't much more than a deck of cards and a board game or two! Nowadays its improved with, at a minimum: telephone service for personal home, television rooms and newspapers/magazines.
The finest facilities can include: Wi-Fi Internet connection in cabins, single cabins, games consoles and cable tv plus many more.

Oil workers are perhaps some of the most highly paid and successful workers in the world. Their earnings can be up to and above treble what their onshore counterparts may earn. The high revenues that oil companies enjoy can be passed down to the humble oil contracters.

The actual work conditions can be from both extremes of cold outside to intense heat inside in production areas of the installation.

Depending on whereabouts you are in the world the conditions can range from very comfortable to sub-basic. In the North / Irish Sea for example most of the oil / gas platforms are from the 1970s to 1980s with only a handful from the late 1990s and one in the 2000s. The earlier era rigs are usually the more basic but some have been updated and overhauled, a well an example of this includes the 'Montrose' oil platform. Others, like the Thistle platform, have more rough and ready living conditions!

Offshore Platforms

Offshore platforms are a unique structure that can be found offshore. Usually built and installed with the specific task of extracting hydrocarbons (aka oil and gas) from the earths crust. Sometimes they are built in large clusters with many being unmanned or partly manned satellite platforms around a central hub platform (usually manned). Three key features tend to make up an offshore platform:

The Modules - Large, pre-built units that include: accommodation, production and drilling zones.

The Jacket - An intricate 'spiders web' of steel piles, beams and trunions combine to provide a formidable foundation which the entire platform sits on.

The Derrick - Usually the highest point on the platform (the exception being the helideck). In this area the drilling is carried out.

Also worth mentioning is the helideck which serves as a transportation hub and the flare tower which burns off unusable hydrocarbons.

In the 1960s and 70s it was common for commercial divers to operate from the oil platform using modular diving systems craned in from a vessel. With space being at such a premium platform operators were reluctant for this way to continue, DSVs are now used in nearly all cases of diver operations. Some exceptions are observation-class activities

A big misnomer about the offshore platforms is the interchangeability of the term 'oil rig.' The correct term is actually oil platform or offshore platform / offshore installation for the structure as a whole. Oil Rig actually means the part of the platform where the drill crew operates from, whereas there's a lot more to the structure than just the derrick area. (The 'Rig' part of the name possibly comes from the fact that on some platforms it can slid about to different areas via hydraulic machinery that performs 'skidding' operations.)

The fiery flare tower and so on can create an industrial city atmosphere, futuristic even especially as darkness falls.
Conversely in bad weather the platforms can resemble sinister hulking behemoths!