Now ye're talking - to an off-shore oil rig worker

nlrkjos wrote: »

sorry for late reply, I honestly don't know about offshore, we do have a "Gill Bates" for computer problems, but out of 600+ workers I only seen 1 on board, and he's missing half the time.

@nlrkjos - I can't seem to send you a PM but can you send me one. I'm pretty sure I know who you are and, if I'm thinking of the right person, then it'd be great to be back in touch with a friend .

Lurching wrote: »

Can you give me a bit of actual workers thoughts on the EC225 helicopter?
I know the north sea unions wont allow their workers to be transferred on them, but are the workers as adamant?

yes, we just do not trust them anymore.

Cairo Large Gown wrote: »

Thanks for doing the AMA: one comment I’d have is It’s pretty stupid not allowing phones but allowing smoking imo. Especially as other rigs do allow phones. No reception but you still have massive use of the phone once you have WiFi even with the likes of eir you would have full network capability through the WiFi with WiFi calling. In this day and age in an isolated job I would see a smart phone as crucial. Just restrict them to use in certain areas.

Also creating a spark from a phone is a myth to begin with which makes the rule even more stupid.

Overall though it a very interesting insight. 2 weeks away is nothing really and far better than the 3 months on/off you hear people in other areas like the merchant navy. Certainly shouldn’t be an issue for younger people or those with families (better if anything with all the time off).

I'll pass on your thoughts to H.S.E dept, who put a lot of time and effort into studying these rules,and deciding they were the best options.

Smart phones aren't as essential as some people think, and restricting items can be hard to police.As to the myth of a spark from a phone...I'd prefer not to try and prove it in a situation where we may have a gas leak.

2 weeks away,can be difficult enough depending on a persons personal circumstances, and believe me the last 2-3 days can be extremely tiring. A close relative of mine died while I was offshore and helicopters were grounded, times like that 2 weeks can be a long time.

Hi thanks for the info,
Are the medical staff employed by the same company as you guys or an outside agency and do you have any idea of the wages and shifts they do. I'm an advanced paramedic with Dublin fire brigade but would be interested in atleast a 1 year contact,

reganreggie wrote: »

Hi thanks for the info,
Are the medical staff employed by the same company as you guys or an outside agency and do you have any idea of the wages and shifts they do. I'm an advanced paramedic with Dublin fire brigade but would be interested in atleast a 1 year contact,

I will find out for you, but I think they are employed by a Health and safety company, wages I don't know, but if I find the name of the company I'll get back to you, In Norwegian fields I do know they have to be fluent in Norsk, but Equinor have fields all over the world, and I do hear that medics are not easy to come by. I am keeping your user name and anyone else who looks for info...and Info will be coming if I'm able to get it.

nlrkjos wrote: »

From the left...Floatel, cabins for 420+ workers,canteen also offices, middle, production platform currently under construction, and the drilling rig also used for accommodation 220 people.

Gas pumped to shore, depth varies and it's covered in rock armour, flare stack burns off excess gasses.

My god that is something else, there is no way I would have thought that 'small' rig would accomodate 420 workers. The other two rigs are massive in comparison.

When you say the flare stack burns off excesses gases why are they excess, because the rig is pumping too fast for the pipeline or are there other gases extracted that are of no use so just get burned off? Have you ever stood near enough to the gas flare, must be a great bit of heat on a chilly winters day?!

Also the gas being extracted- does that same gas power the entire rig at source or does it have to go onshore to be refined/made safe for use?

Muahahaha wrote: »

My god that is something else, there is no way I would have thought that 'small' rig would accomodate 420 workers. The other two rigs are massive in comparison.

When you say the flare stack burns off excesses gases why are they excess, because the rig is pumping too fast for the pipeline or are there other gases extracted that are of no use so just get burned off? Have you ever stood near enough to the gas flare, must be a great bit of heat on a chilly winters day?!

Also the gas being extracted- does that same gas power the entire rig at source or does it have to go onshore to be refined/made safe for use?

The "small" rig is 30,000 tonne ! the other two are all equipment, the middle one has 90 cabins for when it starts production, then it's on it's own!

Excess gas can result from "over-pressure" from the field, and when crude oil is being pumped, gas comes also and it has to go somewhere, with all the technology today, that flare is still lit with a flare gun !

Deleted User wrote: »

So just thought of one more question- what with conversation around "mobile phones" igniting fuel etc

How exactly is the food cooked? Heat, sparks and all of that?

Canteen facilities are firewall protected from production areas,these are explosion proof also, sprinkler pipes are titanium so they will be the last things to collapse in the event of fire. These were lessons hard learned from Piper Alpha and Alexander Kjelland and a few other disasters...KEEP LIVING QUARTERS SAFE in case sh1t happens !

Conchir wrote: »

Very interesting, thanks for giving your time!

I knew a guy in Canada who worked on oil rigs there, back in 2015 he was out of a job for a good few months when the oil price dropped. He had to move home and get a temporary job while he waited to see what would happen with the market.

Is your job sensitive to gas prices? Or is there always enough demand to keep you going?

I'm on the construction side of things mostly, so it takes 4-5 years to plan and build one of these feckers and I'm in on planning, once started it will be finished because oil/gas always rebounds on price. Never really been out of work, but it did slow down once or twice... the rig I'm on now is being built since 2015 Korea for 2 years then yard stay in Norway and its at least a year away from oil on deck...then comes modifications, commissioning, improvements and start up proper... I will probable see another 18-20 months on this yoke, and already there are plans in train for the next project, that will most likely see the back of me.

It's one thing building these but soon most of the work will be de-commissioning end of life platforms. I even heard that some crowd are trying to buy a de-commissioned rig and use the LQ as a fishing platform for "adventure fishermen and divers", could be a future business for somebody. The canteen and cabins are already there:rolleyes:

stop animal cruelty wrote: »

This sounds like a stupid question but here it goes..... Does the Rig float or is there some kind of pole holding it up underneath??

sits on a jacket....stilts !! on the sea bedml.jpg

Just in case folk think it's all abed of roses, I was there when this happened.


Six killed in crane incident at Samsung Heavy shipyard

Six people were killed and over 20 injured on Monday after a crane collapsed at Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, where modules for Total’s Martin Linge topsides are being built.

According to Total’s statement on Monday, the accident happened at 07:45 Norwegian time and no one from the Total project organization was among the dead and injured.

Following the incident, all work at the Samsung yard was closed.

“We know that a crane fell down on the wellbay module for the Martin Linge platform. The cause of the accident is still unknown,” says Leif Harald Halvorsen, Communication Manager at Total E&P Norge.

Total also added that the site was closed and the local authorities and police started their investigations.

The first representatives from the management at Total E&P Norge and the Martin Linge project headed to the site on Monday to give support to the project organization and the main contractor, the consortium Technip/Samsung Heavy Industries.

In its latest update, issued on Monday at around 5 pm Norwegian time, Total could not confirm the number of killed or injured in the accident.

However, Reuters reported that six have been killed and more than 20 injured in the incident. Total and Samsung told Reuters that it was not clear on how the incident might affect the delivery of the Martin Linge platform, which was expected to start producing oil and gas in the North Sea in 2018.

Total E&P Norge is the operator of the Martin Linge field, which is located offshore Norway near the British part of the North Sea, about 42 kilometers west of the Oseberg field.

The Martin Linge development plan includes integrated wellhead, production, and accommodation platform with a jacket, in addition to a floating, storage and offloading (FSO) vessel used for oil storage.

Great AMA. Very informative.

Did you ever watch the programme Roughnecks on bbc years ago? Was it anyway accurate?

Have you ever seen a full on fist fight there. Living in close proximity must produce the odd bout of "cabin fever".

mfceiling wrote: »

Great AMA. Very informative.

Did you ever watch the programme Roughnecks on bbc years ago? Was it anyway accurate?

Have you ever seen a full on fist fight there. Living in close proximity must produce the odd bout of "cabin fever".

must have made great T.V....a bit like Game Of Thrones, based on fact :rolleyes:

No fights, guys are tuned in to what they do and the life it involves, assh*les are weeded out very quickly and given their marching orders!

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

2 lads from my area worked on the rigs in Alaska, big money but like yourself they well earned it.

always wanted to try up there, but difficult scene to break into, money was savage but conditions were terrible, gone too old for that sh1t now !