2015 • A supplement to Offshore Support Journal
arctic & ice-class vessels
Long-term approach could pay dividends for ice ships Spill response technology benefits from collaborative approach New technology adds to ice management expertise
“Significant investment is needed, but the rewards are large. Long-term – not shortterm – prices are the leading indicator of whether Arctic oil is economic.”
Morten G Aggvin, market analyst, Viking Supply Ships, see page IX
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contents
2015
IX
Demand for ice-class vessels and ice-breaking offshore support ships is being limited by the low oil price
regulars III COMMENT
digest IV In late March 2015, the National Petroleum Council published a report on the Arctic and its resources
ice-class designs XIV
Oil spill response in the Arctic and iceprone regions is set to benefit from collaborative, non-competitive R&D projects
VI Aker Arctic continues to be the leading designer of ice-class vessels and continues to develop a number of innovative designs, such as ice-breaking trimarans and a new heavy ice-classed heavy lift vessel for ZPMC-Red Box Energy Services for the Yamal LNG project
demand IX The oil price has dented prospects for Arctic E&P, but depletion could give it a boost long-term. Looking ahead at what kind of vessels might be required in future, it is anticipated that some of the key characteristics required of future designs will be: a high level of flexibility; good storage capacity; accommodation; compliance with the SPS Code; oil recovery capability; and standby capability; plus a high level of installed power and station-keeping capability
XVI
A growing range of technology is available to manage ice – from satellites to unmanned vehicles to kites and drones
ice management XII New technology is adding to the ice-management toolbox. Technology will radically change the nature of ice management operations, allowing much greater control of data to assist with immediate operations, short and long-term planning, ice alerting and to mitigate risk to health, safety and the environment. These include development of high speed remote satellite communications; seafloor fibre-optic networks of sensors; longrange fixed wireless networks; unmanned aerial vehicles; and lighter than air kites or aerostats with onboard sensors
oil spill response XIV Non-competitive R&D projects are central to industry efforts to enhance spill response in ice-prone areas. In addition to substantial industry-sponsored research, there has been a long and effective research effort Front cover: An iceled by government organisations such as the Bureau class vessel operated by Viking Supply Ships of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE); – one of a number of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration such units operated by (NOAA); and the US Environmental Protection Agency the company 2015 • A supplement to Offshore Support Journal
arctic & ice-class vessels
IX Arctic oil analyst Morten Aggvin, who works for Viking Supply Ships, believes the long-term price of oil is key – not short-term fluctuations
Long-term approach could pay dividends for ice-ships Spill response technology benefits from collaborative approach New technology adds to
ice-management expertise
“Significant investment is needed, but the rewards are large. Long-term – not shortterm – prices are the leading indicator of whether Arctic oil is economic.”
Morten G Aggvin, market analyst, Viking Supply Ships, see page XIII
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OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I I
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David Foxwell
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Spill response still a potential Achilles heel
arch 2015 saw the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents over 80 per cent of the world merchant fleet, issue a position paper on Arctic shipping. As the Arctic becomes more accessible and grows in importance as an arena for oil and gas exploration, the ICS set out some key principles with regard to the future governance of Arctic waters. As it noted, offshore support vessel activity is already significant. “As the volume of Arctic shipping gradually increases, there is a growing awareness about the need for a high degree of care when ships navigate Arctic waters. However, the proper forum for addressing these concerns is the International Maritime Organization, which is currently developing a Polar Code that is expected to be mandatory. It is most important that Arctic nations avoid unilateral measures that might cut across IMO Conventions or the provisions of UNCLOS,” said the ICS. It stressed the point that individual coastal states should not impose discriminatory treatment that might prejudice the rights of ships registered with non-Arctic nations under international maritime law, such as unilateral ship construction, design and equipment standards, and identified some issues that require clarification as Arctic waters become more accessible. The paper went on to outline concerns about the IMO Polar Code and noted that it needs to be risk and performance based. For example, pending the future development of unified requirements for the construction and operation of ice-class ships, the code should not arbitrarily require conformity with any particular ice-class standards to the exclusion of others that deliver comparable performance. The paper also sets out a position with respect to the development of infrastructure to support safety and environmental protection, the need for full market access and freedom of navigation, transparency with respect to national regulation and the need for reduced bureaucracy and the setting of appropriate fees for services. “If frequent and reliable international shipping services are to be provided between Arctic ports and the rest of the world, or natural resources in the region are to be developed in a manner that reconciles the need for both environmental and economic sustainably, this will require the provision of maritime services that are competitive and cost efficient,” said the ICS. As it also noted, serious challenges related to lifesaving and oil spill clean-up capability in remote or hostile waters or where sea ice potentially presents an obstacle must also be addressed. In particular, in co-operation with IMO, this
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requires increased co-ordination amongst Arctic nations to promote the region’s search and rescue capability, salvage capacity and emergency pollution response. In the view of the ICS, industry currently has the ability to respond quickly and effectively to an oil spill in Arctic conditions, in part by having oil spill response vessels and key response assets stationed at drilling sites, but many stakeholders remain concerned, underscoring the need for further collaborative work.
S
takeholders are right to be concerned. Despite the many research and development projects that have and are being carried out, at the moment, it’s just that – R&D. Oil spill response technology is not proven in the Arctic in the way that it is in open water. The quantity of tried and tested spill response equipment with proven in-ice capability in production is small, as is the number of vessels able to deploy equipment in ice-prone waters – think of the number of specialised vessels and equipment required in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The Arctic Outer Continental Shelf isn’t like the Gulf of Mexico, where the environmental conditions are mild and infrastructure and logistic support is on hand. Despite the excellent progress that has been made in the development of capping equipment, nothing has been tested in an ice-prone environment. Communications in the Arctic are difficult, transit times are significant, the environment is challenging and emergency preparedness is much more complex. According to Shell’s Revised Outer Continental Shelf Lease Exploration Plan, Chukchi Sea, Alaska, published in March this year, the company will use a remotely operated vehicle connected to the blowout preventer during drilling. It will also have available a capping stack on an ice-management vessel. The company will also have available an Arctic containment dome on a barge, Arctic Challenger. The dome would be lowered to the seabed to gather oil and deliver it to a vessel for storage, and oil spill response vessels will stand by. All have been tested in open water, no doubt, but their use – and potential usefulness – in remote, ice-prone regions remains unknown. With the oil price where it is now, apart from Shell, oil companies are in no rush to explore in the Arctic, and manufacturers are unlikely to commit much in the way of internal funding to develop spill response equipment customised for use in the region. If the price recovers enough to tempt oil companies back to the Arctic, equipment manufacturers will once again have to play catch-up. OSJ
OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I III
digest Oil spill response has advanced – but more work needed
The National Petroleum Council says most US Arctic oil and gas can be developed using existing fieldproven technology such as this drillship (photo: Shell)
National Petroleum Council issues report on the Arctic In late March 2015, the National Petroleum Council published a report on the Arctic that was commissioned by the US Energy Secretary in preparation for US chairmanship of the Arctic Council (a role it assumed in April 2015). The report reviews the ecological and human environment, relevant research and technology around Arctic resource potential, the challenges of operating in the Arctic and the experience of the oil and gas industry in Arctic conditions. The study found that most US Arctic offshore conventional oil and gas potential can be developed using existing field-proven technology, whilst protecting the environment and benefiting local populations. The report also finds that, while the Arctic environment poses some unique challenges, these are generally well understood, and the oil and gas industry has a long history of successful operations in Arctic conditions. The report outlined the fact that there have been substantial recent technology and regulatory advancements to reduce the
potential for and consequences of a spill. Recommendations from the report include that these technological advancements can be even further developed, assessed and demonstrated in the future to reduce the environmental impact of exploration and development and to gain acceptance by regulators and key stakeholders. It was also recognised that developing Arctic oil and gas requires securing public confidence, and recommendations are also included for policy and regulatory improvements to enable the application of best technology and practices. The council found that the US has large Arctic oil and gas potential that can contribute significantly to meeting its future energy needs. The majority of the US Arctic potential is undiscovered and offshore in relatively shallow water depths of less than 100m. However, as the report noted, developing the US oil and gas potential in the region requires an economically viable discovery – something that may be a while coming given the low oil price currently.
Regulations will ensure “safe, responsible drilling” in Alaska In February 2015, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released proposed regulations to ensure that future exploratory drilling activities on the US Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are carried out safely and responsibly and subject to what they called “strong and proven operational standards”. The proposed Arctic-specific regulations focus solely on offshore exploration drilling operations within the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea planning areas. Using a combination of performance-based and prescriptive standards, the proposed regulations codify and further develop IV I OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015
Sally Jewell: “the Arctic region has substantial oil and gas potential”
The National Petroleum Council report on the Arctic and on offshore oil and gas exploration and production published in March 2015 (see box) claims that “there have been significant recent technology advances in oil spill prevention and response” that could be used, if the need arose, during offshore operations in the region. “Application of these technologies in the US Arctic could improve environmental stewardship and reduce cost, by safely extending the time available for exploration drilling,” claimed the report, which recommended policy and regulatory improvements and improvements that would enable the application of technology and best practices from other jurisdictions that could improve safety, environmental and cost performance. The council’s recommendations were grouped into three themes, of which one was that industry and regulators should work together to perform the analyses, investigations and any necessary demonstrations to validate technologies for improved oil spill prevention and source control. Another was that government agencies should participate in ongoing and future Arctic oil spill industry collaborative research programmes, such as the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme (see elsewhere in this special supplement). The report also recommended that regulators should continue to evaluate oil spill response technologies in Arctic conditions, and all spill response technologies should be pre-approved to enable use of the appropriate response technology to achieve the greatest reduction in adverse environmental impacts. current Arctic-specific operational standards that seek to ensure that operators take the necessary steps to plan through all phases of offshore exploration in the Arctic, including mobilisation, drilling, maritime transport and emergency response, and conduct safe drilling operations while in theatre. “The Arctic has substantial oil and gas potential, and the US has a longstanding interest in the orderly development of these resources, which includes establishing high standards for the protection of this critical ecosystem, the surrounding communities and the subsistence needs and cultural traditions of Alaska natives,” said secretary of the interior Sally Jewell. “These proposed regulations issued today extend the Administration’s ››› www.osjonline.com
››› thoughtful approach to balanced oil and gas exploration in the Arctic and are designed to ensure that offshore exploratory activities will continue to be subject to the highest safety standards.” The proposed regulations codify requirements that all Arctic offshore operators and their contractors are appropriately prepared for Arctic conditions and that operators have developed an integrated operations plan that details all phases of the exploration programme for purposes of advance planning and risk assessment. With an emphasis on safe and responsible exploration, the proposed rule would also require operators to submit region-specific oil spill response plans, have prompt access to source control and containment equipment and have available a separate relief rig to timely drill a relief well in the event of a loss of well control. The proposed rule continues to allow for technological innovation, as long as the operator can demonstrate that the level of its safety and environmental performance satisfies the standards set forth in the proposed rule. “The proposed rule codifies existing Arctic-
specific standards and establishes the rules of the road for all companies interested in safe and responsible Arctic exploration,” said assistant secretary for land minerals management Janice Schneider. “In turn, these rules would facilitate exploration planning efforts and provide regulatory certainty, while ensuring that the US maintains its leadership position in overseeing safe exploration operations that protect this unique and sensitive environment.” The regulations were developed with input from the state of Alaska, North Slope communities, industry and non-governmental organisations. In January 2013, former secretary Ken Salazar directed a high level review of Shell’s 2012 offshore drilling programme in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas – including the company’s preparations for the 2012 drilling season and its maritime and emergency response operations – to identify challenges and lessons learned. In March 2013, the Department released the findings of the assessment, which also included recommendations to guide future exploratory activities. The proposed regulations released in February incorporate some of the lessons learned from Shell’s 2012 operations and recommendations from the Department’s review.
BOEM invites comment on Chukchi Sea plan In April 2015, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management received Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc’s revised multiyear exploration plan (EP) for the Chukchi Sea and invited the public to review and comment on it. The revised EP describes Shell’s proposal to conduct exploration drilling in the shallow waters of the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf, off the northwest coast of Alaska. It is available for review at www.boem.gov/shell-chukchi. An EP describes all exploration activities planned by the operator for a specific lease or leases, including the timing of these activities, information concerning drilling vessels, the location of each planned well and actions to be taken to meet important safety and environmental standards and to protect access to subsistence resources. “We will be carefully scrutinising this revised EP to determine whether it meets stringent environmental and regulatory standards,” said Dr James Kendall, the director of BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region. “We have posted Shell’s revised EP online, and we invite the public and all interested stakeholders to review the document and provide us with comments.” Shell’s revised EP proposes to continue the multiyear Chukchi Sea exploration drilling programme the company began in July 2012. This programme includes drilling up to six wells within the Burger Prospect, located in approximately 140ft (43m) of water about www.osjonline.com
70 miles (113km) northwest of the village of Wainwright. Shell would conduct its operations using the drillship Noble Discoverer and the semi-submersible drilling unit Transocean Polar Pioneer, with each vessel providing relief-well capability for the other. The two drilling units and their supporting vessels would depart the Chukchi Sea at the conclusion of each exploration drilling season.
Shell gets Arctic boost The US Department of the Interior has upheld a 2008 lease sale for the Chukchi Sea offshore Alaska, removing one of the potential stumbling blocks that may have prevented Shell from drilling off Alaska in 2015. The Department has affirmed the licences following a thorough environment analysis and has lifted the suspensions on exploration activity within the Chukchi Sea acreage. Pending further approvals from the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Shell is planning to undertake exploration drilling in the US Arctic territory later this year.
NOIA disappointed by proposed Arctic regulations Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) in the US, issued the following statement in response to the Obama Administration’s proposed Arctic regulations on offshore oil and gas production. Mr Luthi said, “This long anticipated rule provides at least some certainty, consistency and reliability for offshore oil and gas production in the resource-rich Arctic region. Energy exploration is a highly regulated process with a 10–20-year lead time, but even the administration’s own environmental impact assessment (EIA) recognises that the majority of our energy in that time will still come from traditional sources like oil and natural gas. “Opponents of oil and gas may point to the low price of fuel as a reason to stop any and all production in Alaska, but that would be short sighted and naïve at best while icing the dream of an America not reliant on foreign oil. While the US has greatly increased its oil and natural gas production, that increase has been overwhelmingly on state and private lands. We are hopeful that, following a thoughtful dialogue with industry experts during the comment period, the final rule will encourage more production on federal lands offshore Alaska, which will benefit consumers and the people of Alaska. “America will soon assume the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, and the question will be then as it is now: is America ready to be a leader in the Arctic for generations to come and what do we want our legacy to be? Will we continue to lag behind other countries such as Russia, Canada and Norway, all countries that have drilled or plan to explore Arctic waters? Rules that take years to make tend not to reflect the best and newest technology being developed and used by industry on a daily basis.” OSJ
Brage Viking secures new deal Broker Seabrokers reports that Viking Supply Ships has entered into a contract with an unnamed oil major for its ice-classed anchorhandling tug/supply vessel Brage Viking. The contract was due to commence in early April.
Randall Luthi: “we are hopeful that the final rule will encourage more production offshore Alaska” OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I V
ice-class designs
Ice expertise remains in demand despite low oil price A
ker Arctic recently completed conceptual design for a new ice-breaking standby vessel (IBSBV), the ARC 121, to meet the requirements of Sakhalin Energy Investment Co Ltd (SEIC). In 2014, Arctech Helsinki Shipyard signed a contract with Russia’s largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, for the construction of three vessels of this type. They will be built for the northeast Sakhalin offshore oil and gas field where they will serve the operator of Sakhalin-2, SEIC. The vessels will be delivered between September 2016 and March 2017. In an emergency, the vessels can be deployed for personnel evacuation and oil spill response. They are designed to operate in thick, drifting ice, carrying out ice management and icebreaking in temperatures as low as -35°C. The ice-breaking capability of the standby vessels is very high – they will be able to proceed independently in ice 1.5m thick. This new series of IBSBVs is a further development of the Aker ARC 105 concept, the design and technical parameters of the vessels having been modified to meet the needs of the Sakhalin-2 project. Aker Arctic has also been involved researching and developing logistic and operational solutions for the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project since 2010. In addition to developing designs for LNG carriers, port ice-breakers and assisting in the design of the harbour of Sabetta on the Yamal Peninsula, the company also helped with preparations for the new LNG plant. Construction of the plant is based on a modular
The offshore oil and gas industry may be going through a period of retrenchment, but Aker Arctic, the leading designer of ice-class vessels, remains busy with a range of projects
principle, with modules manufactured all around the world, gathered together in Europe and then transported to Yamal. Aker Arctic is responsible for designing two Polar-class heavy deck carriers for the safe transportation of these modules to the plant construction site. The development work has been carried out in close co-operation with ZPMC-Red Box Energy Services. The modules for the LNG facility in Sabetta will weigh up to 10,000 tonnes. It will take about four years to deliver them all to the Arctic. Because of the harsh conditions found in the area with temperatures down to -40°C for part of the year, no ordinary vessel would be able to undertake the project. The new vessels will be 206.6m long with a breadth of 43m and deck load of 21,800 tonnes. They will have a flat cargo deck area of 7,500m² and propulsion providing a total of 24 megawatts. The Polar Class 3 module carriers, which will be able to operate year round, are different to anything designed and constructed before. They are typical of heavy cargo ships in as much as they have a wide cargo deck but designed for
Aker Arctic has been working on trimaran ice-breaking vessels for some time
exceptional circumstances – they need to be able to navigate in ice in the Gulf of Ob year round. “Two of the major challenges designing the vessels were, firstly, the weight of the modules and, secondly, the way they will be loaded onto the ship,” said Aker Arctic’s programme manager Mika Hovilainen. “We had to optimise construction so that it did not become too heavy but remained strong enough to manage the weight of the modules. The ship’s draught had to be 8–12m, and loading needed to be possible regardless of the tide. We also had to take into account the Arctic weather, and the schedule was also very tight.” The stability requirements of a vessel like this also required a particularly sophisticated ballast system, and ZPMC-Red Box developed a new ballast system design that transfers ballast water internally in order to improve the control and efficiency of discharge operations. The innovative vessels also have a deck-heating system – this is because spray blown off the sea freezes immediately on contact with the ship and can create snow and ice cover on the deck area. Ice must be removed from the deck to ensure safety during operations. The key challenge was to optimise the heating system so that it is efficient but did not add too much weight to the vessel. As highlighted previously in OSJ and in earlier Arctic and ice-class vessel supplements, Aker Arctic has also been working on the design of a family of trimaran ice-breakers. Tests have shown that a trimaran is more efficient in breaking ice than a conventional ice-breaking vessel of the same breadth. It is also lighter and uses less power to create a wide channel. Aker Arctic has now developed three different sizes of vessel using the trimaran concept: a Baltic Sea ice-breaker; a unit intended for use in the Arctic; and an ice-breaking harbour tug. A series of seakeeping model tests was completed using the trimaran concept in August and October 2014. These tests were undertaken because the hullform and design of the icebreaking trimaran differ significantly from any other kind of vessel. The seakeeping tests were carried out in co-operation with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) in its test basin. The test matrix was fairly comprehensive and included both regular and irregular waves and five different encounter angles (0–180 degrees) with zero vessel speed and various wave heights and www.osjonline.com
The module carriers designed by Aker Arctic for the Yamal LNG project are unique
frequencies. In addition, a 180-degree encounter angle was tested with velocity ahead. Tests with regular waves were conducted with a constant wave height of 1.0m and over a wide wave frequency range to obtain response amplitude operators (RAOs) for different quantities. The motions and accelerations were tested in irregular waves using the JONSWAP wave spectrum and significant wave heights of 2.0m and 4.0m to gain deeper understanding of the behaviour of the trimaran concept and to measure maximum loads. The instrumentation included force measurements between the main hull and side hulls, accelerometers at different locations, relative motion sensors to measure the relative wave elevation, global movement measurement and slamming pressure sensors on the cross-deck. Although the full results of the tests are not yet available, observations made during the tests and preliminary results indicate that the trimaran behaves well in waves, and no major problems were found. Ville Valtonen, a structural engineer at Aker Arctic, said the roll
angles and accelerations were very moderate despite the large metacentric height (GM). Even in 4.0m significant wave heights, the side hulls remained in the water and did not submerge excessively. Generally, the motions of the vessels were moderate in all tested conditions with zero speed. The largest accelerations and motions were measured in the bow of the vessel, while the stern had lower accelerations and smaller motions, which is favourable for using the large stern deck as a working deck. The clearance between cross-deck and water surface also seems sufficient, as only a very few, low energy contacts between cross-deck bottom and waves were observed. “Based on the early results and observations, the vessel can operate in 4.0m significant wave height without problems,” said Mr Valtonen. “With stern waves, the 4.0m significant wave height seems to be about the upper limit, but in beam or head waves, it seems that even more severe sea states would not cause any major issues. It has to be noted that larger waves
Design of ice-breaking ARC 125 underway Aker Arctic’s involvement in the Yamal LNG project also extends to the design of an icebreaking port tug with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion. Model testing has already been completed. The tug will assist the Arctic module carriers described elsewhere in this article. Its primary tasks will be escort services, ice-breaking, assistance in harbour operations and icemanagement functions. The tug is designed for year-round operations
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in Sabetta harbour. Ice strengthening will enable it to carry out independent operations in pre-broken thick first-year ice. The hullform is designed for operations in thick brash ice conditions while still maintaining adequate operability as an escort and harbour tug. The tug is able to proceed at a speed of 2 knots in both 1.0m level ice and 4m thick brash ice with a consolidated layer on top in a limited water depth – conditions that prevail in Sabetta Harbour.
tend to have longer periods and are therefore less severe for a relatively small vessel, as the wavelength exceeds the vessel dimensions significantly, whereas waves with a length fairly similar to the vessel dimensions are likely to cause the most severe motions.” The ice-breaking harbour trimaran is intended for year-round operation in the Baltic, working as an escorting ice-breaker, assisting cargo vessels mainly in areas with first-year ice. It is intended as an ice-management vessel in harbour brash ice conditions, servicing fairways in open water conditions, oil recovery and firefighting, as well as acting as a multipurpose salvage tug. Like the other trimarans in the series, the vessel has a main centre hull and two pontoons on the sides. The main ice-breaking direction is in ahead mode, and it can create a channel about 27m wide, which makes it excellent for assisting beamy cargo vessels in ice. Due to its large deck area, the vessel is suitable for large light deck cargoes. Its stability makes it excellent also for maintenance work. The vessel is 45m long with a breadth of 25m with ice-breaking capabilities of 0.4m at 7 knots. Its theoretical ice-breaking capability is about 1.2m. Mr Valtonen explained that, during 2014, Aker Arctic undertook extensive model tests in its test basin and measured loads and verified the calculated ice loads when the vessel encounters large ice features, such as ridges. “The results showed that nothing dramatic happened and that loads were slightly lower than expected. This proves that the concept is feasible from a structural viewpoint and good for ice-breaking,” said Mr Valtonen. “We also researched the optimal width for ice-breaking purposes. The results indicated that a breadth of up to 50m worked best. The original trimaran is 40m wide.” OSJ OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I VII
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VIII I OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015
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demand
Ice-class owners should play the long game Demand for ice-class vessels and ice-breaking offshore support ships will be limited, but opportunities exist for owners willing to invest for the long-term
A
s the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association noted recently in its publication High North – High Stakes: Maritime opportunities in the Arctic, uncertainty in supplies from the Middle East and climate change seemingly making new sea areas more accessible to the offshore industry have contributed to a greater focus on Arctic energy. However, resource estimates for the Arctic are uncertain, and the reports that are circulating often do not define the types of reserve or resource categories in question – nor indeed what the limits of the Arctic are. In addition, the petroleum reserves in the Arctic are resource intensive to extract. This will place high demands on future innovation and technological developments. Much attention has been given to the estimates from the US Geological Survey (USGS) of undiscovered petroleum resources in the Arctic. A report from 2009 states that 22 per cent of the world’s undiscovered petroleum resources may lie north of the Arctic Circle. The estimates do not take account of technological limitations or innovations and the cost of extraction. However, Arctic oil and gas developments are especially sensitive to changes in oil and gas prices, given the high costs and long lead times involved in fossil fuel exploration and extraction, particularly in such a remote region. It is thus crucial to take factors such as long-term trends in oil and gas prices and the availability of cheaper and more viable energy resources such as shale gas into account when assessing the viability of Arctic oil and gas development projects. High oil prices may make Arctic petroleum development attractive but at the same time increase the incentives to develop unconventional oil and gas or renewable energy in other parts of the world. It is fair to say that low oil prices make exploration and production in the Arctic less likely – at least for the short term. Given the above, what level of demand might there be for ice-class vessels for Arctic www.osjonline.com
operations? This was a question addressed at the 2015 Annual OSJ Conference, Awards & Exhibition in London in February by Morten Aggvin, a market analyst with Viking Supply Ships. As he noted, much depends on the oil price and on the price returning to what he called “sustainable levels”. “Will a lower oil price bring economic growth back up?” Mr Aggvin asked. Despite growth in unconventional sources of oil, he believes, depletion of reserves will be of increased importance into the next decade. If the worldwide economy prospers, growing energy demand could combine with depletion to make more expensive sources of oil, such as those in the Arctic, attractive again. At the same time, cost reduction on the part of exploration and production companies and oil companies will make that oil less expensive to produce. “Large investments are needed for Arctic oil,” said Mr Aggvin, “but the rewards are large too.” Long-term prices – not short-term price – are the
If the economy prospers, energy demand could grow, and demand for ice-class ships could grow
leading indicator of whether oil in the Arctic is economic, was his message. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the regulatory schemes that are enforced in the Arctic. “They need to be predictable in order for companies to undertake long-term planning,” he said. The foremost of these, now that it has been agreed, is the IMO Polar Code, and environmental issues need to be addressed when designing new vessels. Then there is the geopolitical situation in Russia and the fact that what Mr Aggvin described as a “lack of equipment and capital” is reducing activity in the short run. It remains difficult to predict the near-term outlook, with no obvious solutions to the political situation. Turning to the current fleet of Arctic vessels, Mr Aggvin noted that there has been increased activity in the region but that it is still a small market. However, the orderbook is limited, and of those vessels that are on order, most ice-breaking offshore vessels are
demand
being constructed against long-term contracts. Maersk Supply Service recently ordered up to six anchor-handling tug/supply vessels with ice class, but there are few speculative builds. Activity is mainly project based, he explained, and there is limited room for speculative builds. Rates must be compared to cost of construction and operation. “It is difficult to predict the exact timing of future campaigns, but activity is opening up,” said Mr Aggvin, noting that, for instance, Shell plans to return to Alaska in 2015. In the Sea of Okhotsk, increased activity is expected, but the lower gas price is putting pressure on activity in the short term. Offshore Canada, Exxon is planning for drilling in 2018–2020 in the Beaufort region and has moved resources from the Kara Sea. Statoil has prioritised Canada and is looking at several opportunities, but these have limited ice-class requirements. Offshore Greenland, renewed activity is unlikely in the near term, said Mr Aggvin. East Greenland is likely to be the first mover, but no drilling is planned currently. In the Russian Arctic, activity is expected, but Viking Supply Ships does not expect drilling before the current geopolitical situation is solved. Work is likely to get underway again in the Kara Sea in 2016 subject to sanctions and the financial situation in Russia. In the Barents/Pechora Seas, two campaigns were expected in the summer of 2015, but their status is uncertain due to sanctions and the financial situation in Russia. “Overall,” said Mr Aggvin, “it is difficult to predict the exact
timing of campaigns, and delays will occur.” Actual demand for ice-class vessels will vary depending according to drilling location, ice conditions, the duration of the season and vessel availability. There are significant regional differences. In the Sakhalin/Sea of Okthosk area, exploration takes place during the summer (when there is no need for ice-class). In the Beaufort/Chukchi Sea, exploration activity is also limited to summer but requires a combination of ice-breakers and high ice-class vessels (1A*). In the Laptev/East Siberian/Chukchi Sea, exploration during summer is supported by ice-breakers and ice-class vessels (minimum 1A), and full-year activity is not anticipated in the near future. In northwest Greenland, activity only takes place in the summer, with a likely combination of ice-breakers/high ice-class and lower ice-class vessels. In the Kara Sea, exploration takes place during the summer and is supported by ice-breakers and ice-class vessels (minimum 1A). Again, there is no full-year activity expected here in the near future, but longer seasons will turn demand towards icebreakers. Offshore southwest Greenland, activity is limited to the summer, but there is limited demand for ice-class vessels (1A/B preferred). Operations offshore northeast Greenland come up against heavy ice conditions, with icebreakers needed for summer operations. Currently, work there is limited to seismic activity, with exploration drilling a few years in the future. When it takes place, it will probably require an ice-breaking drillship supported by ice-breaking offshore support vessels. In the
Pechora Sea/Barents Sea, exploration also takes place during the summer with limited need for ice-class vessels (secondary support). Icebreakers (Ice-10/15) are required for production support (currently there is only one producing field). The Norwegian side mainly requires vessels with DEICE class notation. Offshore Newfoundland/Labrador, a minimum of ICE-1C is required. Looking ahead at what kind of vessels might be required in future, Mr Aggvin said some of the key characteristics of future designs include: • a high level of flexibility • good storage capacity • accommodation • compliance with the SPS Code • oil recovery capability • combined standby capability. They will need the right kind of ice class, a high level of installed power and station-keeping capability and would need to be ‘green’ designs, he said. Vessels apart, “your most valuable asset is people”, he said. “Crew with the right qualifications and expertise is your most valuable asset,” he said, and given the nature of the operating environment, “worst-case scenarios must be included in planning and training” and “safe operations rely on your crew and their ability to use the equipment they are given”. “A long-term focus is essential,” Mr Aggvin concluded. “Delayed investments are to be expected,” but for vessel owners, activity in the region will drive demand for a limited supply of modern tonnage but not speculation. OSJ
Demand for ice-class vessels will vary according to location, ice conditions, the length of the season and availability (photo: Greg Dalgetty, Swire Pacific Offshore)
X I OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015
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OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I XI
ice management
New technology adds to icemanagement expertise A ll marine operations taking place in ice where vessels are required to maintain their position due to the nature of the work they are carrying out require some form of an ice-management system to maintain safe operations. Over the years, various techniques and systems have been developed to allow safe operations. They were successfully applied during the 1980s and 1990s in the Beaufort Sea drilling campaigns, and the same elements have been applied offshore Sakhalin Island and in iceberg-infested waters off Newfoundland and Greenland. Since then, technology for detection, monitoring and ice forecasting has improved, as has the design of ice-class vessels. In March 2015, a working document on ice management was published as part of the National Petroleum Council’s study Arctic Potential: Realizing the Promise of U.S. Arctic Oil and Gas Resources. As it highlighted, there are few main elements in all ice-management systems, including: • ice and weather forecasting, detection and monitoring for situational awareness to support the ice-management system • an ice alert system that supports the nature of the operation • a support vessel(s) conducting physical ice management by breaking, pushing, washing, towing or providing ice reconnaissance. An ice-management system must support an ongoing safe work process in an ice regime. If conditions change in a negative way, there must be an alert system that stops the work process in a timely manner, and if needs be, allow for a safe abandonment of equipment from the work site. In all ice-management systems, proper planning
The principles of ice management are well established, but there is room for them to be refined and enhanced
The concept of ice management for offshore oil and gas operations has been understood and solutions put into effect for some time, but new technology could enable it to be executed in a much more sophisticated manner
and preparation and having the right equipment and support services along with experienced personnel are essential factors for a safe and successful operation in an ice regime. It has been some time since a full-blown ice-management operation has been active in US waters, although they have been used elsewhere. The Kara Sea is probably the most likely recent example, although there, the focus is on ice avoidance much more than working within an ice regime that is constantly changing, the exceptions perhaps being Sakhalin and the iceberg-management programmes active off Canada’s east coast and West Greenland. Since the 1980s when companies such as BeauDril and Canmar produced a flood of innovations, it has been much quieter. However, what was once the typical offshore ice-management operation incorporating live tracking of incoming ice floes and icebergs using shipboard radar and managed by icestrengthened anchor handlers is now a lot more sophisticated. The use of short-term, primarily reactionary skillsets to handle immediate ice challenges no longer exists and is simply not acceptable by either industry or regulators. With entry to Arctic regions becoming easier, a much greater focus by exploration
companies has brought an emphasis on new innovations being developed, much of it through the declassification of military technologies. The commercialisation of satellite sensors such as RadarSat (MDA), TerraSarX, Pleiades, CosmoSkyMed and the availability of opensource platforms like Modis (NOAA) and Envisat/Sentinel (ESA) has made near-real-time ice imagery available for every ice-challenged area on a near daily basis. The development and use of ice radars such as Rutter’s Sigma 6 and others and the recent growth of data management and control systems such as Narwhal, Saab and others are online now or soon will be, and all show some promise. Many developments will radically change the game by allowing much greater control of data to assist with immediate operations, short and long-term planning, ice alerting and to mitigate risk to health, safety and the environment. These include development of high speed remote satellite communications such as CapRock; seafloor fibre-optic networks of sensors all providing live data back to ice-management command and control systems; long-range fixed wireless networks; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as Boeing’s ScanEagle; wave gliders; inexpensive passive/active gates that use advanced upward looking sonar to find icebergs and growlers entering a perimeter defence area; and lighter than air kites (Hellikite) or aerostats with a variety of onboard kite and drone-carried sensors from visual to IR to SAR. “Perhaps the next step,” said the authors of the report, “and hopefully available within a year, will be replacing the long-standing helicopter ice reconnaissance with semi-autonomous UAVs that can monitor ice conditions over a much wider area through greater endurance [with] less susceptibility to weather [and are] less reliant on ship motion if launched and recovered from a vessel and immune to darkness if using SAR. This is certainly much less risk than flying humans in often harsh conditions.” Next-generation monitoring using SAR sensor satellite clusters providing almost continuous coverage of specific areas also shows much promise and could even replace the UAV options being explored today. However, said the report, “the major challenge with many of these new technologies, especially the aerial options, will be regulatory approval from agencies, which, through no fault of their own, [are] incapable www.osjonline.com
of fully evaluating the benefits that can be realised due to their own internal organisational limitations and challenges”. National and international programmes continue to be used to explore the development of more advanced ice-management capability, such as work carried out by Petroleum Research Newfoundland & Labrador (Petroleum Research), the principal delivery agent for collaborative research and development projects on behalf of its offshore oil and gas industry members. Petroleum Research said it has prioritised R&D in the Arctic and harsh environments, with an objective to develop technology to reduce risk and/or cost of operation in arctic and harsh environments. A major multiyear ice-management programme (IMP) aimed at the development of improved ice-management capabilities for operations in Arctic and harsh environments is an ongoing core programme for the organisation, which selected the following focus areas for particular attention: ice and iceberg detection/discrimination; enhanced iceberg and sea ice drift forecasting; towing of large icebergs; operations in sea ice; station-keeping in sea ice; and technology integration and training. The ultimate goal of the programme is the development of enhanced ice-management technologies and tools for use at various stages of the overall process. Key drivers for success will be field trials as a primary basis for validation, proven technology to be integrated into operations, trained high quality personnel that can deliver superior performance and technologies and expertise that can be exported to other regions with challenging operational conditions and ice-management requirements. The aim of the work that the organisation is doing on ice and iceberg detection/discrimination is to improve detection of sea ice/icebergs in remote locations, benchmark performance of existing detection technologies, determine sensitivity of operation to enhanced detection capabilities, improve discrimination between icebergs and other targets, improve detection of icebergs and multiyear ice in high seas and in sea ice, and sea ice characterisation (first-year versus multiyear ice thickness). Petroleum Research notes that iceberg detection on the Grand Banks is being carried out successfully using a combination of technologies, “but there is opportunity for improvement”. Although sea ice monitoring is less of a concern on the Grand Banks, it must be considered in many Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, and improvements in sea ice monitoring will be explored primarily through enhancement of radar technologies from various platforms. Research in several technology programmes may improve the effectiveness of iceberg detection including dual polarised marine radar, exploitation of advanced satellite radar capabilities, development of tactical UAV www.osjonline.com
technology and implementation of a data fusion tool. A number of projects have been completed or are ongoing in this focus area, including the enhancement of Rutter Inc’s dual-polarised Sigma 6 marine radar platform for better detection and discrimination of multiyear ice and a project led by C-CORE to extend the capabilities of satellite radar to distinguish multiyear and other ice variations. A project to develop a radar system for characterising ice thickness for tactical ice-management purposes is also in progress. Further field trials of these and other emerging technologies are being considered. The main objectives of the enhanced iceberg and sea ice drift forecasting focus area are to define key needs for iceberg and sea ice forecasts, including the most important ice factors and the associated time and space scales of interest (in relation to clear industry operations scenarios); benchmark existing capabilities, both strengths and limitations, of iceberg and sea ice drift forecasting models that are currently available (and being used); determine the sensitivity/ accuracy of existing or enhanced iceberg and sea ice drift models to new developments and potential benefits to current and future oil industry operations; evaluate benefits of including more real-time data into these models; identify and evaluate new technologies and/or enhancements to existing technologies; analyse and develop new novel iceberg and sea ice drift models, including integration of real-time inputs into selected drift models; demonstrate and evaluate model(s), including any new data sources, through field trials; and integrate technology into operational ice-management systems, including relevant training. Drift forecasting involves predicting the future trajectories and sizes of sea ice and/or icebergs using experience, past drift and drift models. It is important to consider for the design of new platforms as well as operations, in iceberg and sea ice physical management and for station-keeping. While forecasting for icebergs and sea ice shares many similarities, forecasting sea ice has the added complexity of interactions due to stresses between floes, the possibility of ridging and ice growth as well as new ice formation. For freely floating icebergs, consideration must be given to vertical variation in currents over the depth of the iceberg, deterioration of the iceberg and wave diffraction for larger icebergs. Future technologies currently identified for sea ice monitoring include dualpolarised marine radar, development of advanced satellite radar, tactical UAV monitoring, networking ULS devices and monitoring using autonomous underwater vehicles. With regard to towing icebergs, the objectives are to develop and test methodology for towing of icebergs in pack ice and to develop training material and/or simulation tools for towing of large icebergs. The presence of sea ice may have a
UAVs – such as the ScanEagle shown here – could be used to enhance ability to detect icebergs and monitor them significant impact on iceberg towing operations. To avoid suspension of operations or disconnection, it may be necessary to tow icebergs within sea ice, and there is a need to address uncertainty in effectiveness, suitability of towing equipment and towing methodology that may enable the effective handling of icebergs in sea ice. Currently, towing in sea ice is believed to only be possible for certain light sea ice conditions. A joint industry project to investigate the practical and technical feasibility for towing icebergs in various levels and types of sea ice coverage was initiated in 2013. Initial work is being executed by Canatec and other partners. The scope for this project consists of defining performance scenarios to assess the practical and technical feasibility of towing icebergs and other objects such as work barges in various levels and types of sea ice coverage. The scenarios will consider both first-year and multiyear ice coverage, with and without ice-breaker support. The objectives of the station-keeping work package are to advance understanding of the magnitude and nature of pack ice loads on vessels, including mooring and/or stationkeeping forces; determine response actions necessary for maintaining station; and develop technologies to maintain station. As the report notes, there are two station-keeping systems that have been used successfully in ice conditions: mooring systems and dynamic positioning (DP) systems (see elsewhere in this special supplement). The objective of the technology integration and training effort is to develop training courses for personnel involved in ice management covering existing, enhanced or new practices and to develop training material and/or simulation tools to demonstrate incorporation of analytical models into an ice-management system. OSJ OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I XIII
oil spill response
Spill response technology benefits from collaboration M uch of the existing knowledge base in the area of Arctic spill response draws on a long history of experiences with a number of key field experiments, backed up by laboratory and basin studies in the US, Canada, Norway and the Baltic countries. The ongoing Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme (ART JIP) is a comprehensive research initiative bringing together the world’s leading Arctic scientists and engineers. The programme was initiated in 2012 as a collaboration of nine international oil and gas companies: BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, North Caspian Operating Company, Shell, Statoil and Total. The companies came together to further enhance industry knowledge and capabilities in the area of Arctic spill response as well as to increase understanding of potential impacts of oil on the
Over the last 40 years, the oil and gas industry has made significant advances in oil spill response in Arctic environments. Many of these advances were achieved through collaborative international research programmes with a mix of industry, academia and government partners
Arctic marine environment. Such collaborative projects, in a non-competitive arena, enable all stakeholders to gain from mutual advancement of capabilities. In addition to substantial industrysponsored research, there has been a long and effective research effort led by government organisations. For more than three decades,
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), formerly the Minerals Management Service (MMS), has funded programmes for open water and in ice. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is involved in a variety of oil spill research projects in conjunction with academia and other agencies, which includes development of an Arctic version of its oil spill trajectory model GNOME (General NOAA Operational Modelling Environment). The US Environmental Protection Agency is conducting tests of dispersant efficacy and toxicity at low temperatures, whilst in northwest Europe, several collaborative programmes such as the Oil in Ice joint industry project led by Marintek in Norway have been completed . Published in March 2015, a working document from the National Petroleum Council
Tests conducted by industry and governments have played a key role in the development of spill technology for ice XIV I OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015
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produced as part of the study Arctic Potential: Realizing the Promise of U.S. Arctic Oil and Gas Resources, provides a good overview of research activity currently being conducted by industry and government agencies. The ART JIP is currently ongoing and is managed by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) and co-ordinated by an executive steering committee comprised of representatives from the funding companies. The JIP has several specific projects each focusing on a different key area of oil spill response: • Project 1, Fate of Dispersed Oil under Ice, will provide important information for dispersant use in ice-covered marine environments and develop a tool to support contingency planning • Project 2, Dispersant Testing under Realistic Conditions, will define the operational criteria for use of dispersant and mineral fines in Arctic marine waters with respect to oil type, oil viscosity, ice cover (type and concentration), air temperatures and mixing energy (natural, water jet and propeller wash). Another objective is to identify the regulatory requirements and permitting process for dispersant and mineral fines use for each Arctic nation/region • Project 3, Environmental Impacts from Arctic Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response Technologies, will improve the knowledge base for using net environmental benefit analysis (see Digest section of this special supplement) for response decision making and ultimately facilitate stakeholder acceptance of the role of environmental impact assessment in oil spill response plans and operations • Project 4, Oil Spill Trajectory Modelling in Ice, will advance the oil spill modelling for oil spills in ice-affected waters by evaluating ice trajectory modelling approaches and integrating the results into established industry oil spill trajectory models • Project 5, Oil Spill Detection and Mapping in Low Visibility and Ice, will expand remote sensing and monitoring capabilities in darkness and low visibility in pack ice and under ice. This project is split into two elements: surface remote sensing (satellite-borne, airborne, ship-borne and on-ice detection technologies) and subsea remote sensing (mobile remotely operated vehicles or autonomous underwater vehicles) and fixed detection technologies) • Project 6, Mechanical Recovery of Oil in Ice, will evaluate novel ideas for improving efficiency of mechanical recovery equipment in Arctic conditions • Project 7, In Situ Burning of Oil in IceAffected Waters, will prepare educational materials to raise the awareness of industry, regulators and external stakeholders of the significant body of knowledge that currently www.osjonline.com
The US Coast Guard Research and Development Center conducts field tests in icecovered waters and during exercises such as Arctic Shield exists on all aspects of in situ burning (ISB). The materials are also intended to inform specialists and stakeholders interested in operational, environmental and technological details of the ISB response technique • Project 8, Aerial Ignition Systems for In Situ Burning, will develop improved ignition systems to facilitate the use of in situ burning in offshore Arctic environments, including ice when the presence of sea ice restricts use of vessels as a platform for this response option • Project 9, Chemical Herders and In Situ Burning, will advance knowledge of chemical herder fate, effects and performance to expand the operational utility of in situ burning in open water and in ice-affected waters • Project 10 will focus on field research. Results from previous research projects show that many of the advances in knowledge about Arctic response technology were gained through controlled field experiments with oil. This project will pursue opportunities for largescale field releases for validation of response technologies and strategies. Building on the results of the recently completed NewFields JIP, which evaluated toxicity and biodegradation of physically and chemically dispersed Alaska North Slope oil under Arctic conditions in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, University of Alaska continues evaluation of oil biodegradation in the Arctic marine environment. This project aims to identify microorganisms and genes that are responsible for hydrocarbon biodegradation and evaluates their background levels in the environment and how this changes in response to the presence of hydrocarbons. This new JIP is supported by Shell, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Statoil and BP as well as Alaska
Clean Seas and the Oil Spill Recovery Institute. Alaska Clean Seas (ACS) provides response services to the Alaska North Slope Crude Oil Producers and the first 167 miles (269lm) of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and has maintained an active oil spill research and development programme since the early 1980s. The programme focuses on spill response and wildlife management in Arctic conditions. Currently funded (and co-funded) projects include a study of remote sensing techniques for locating oil under ice conducted in Germany, support to University of Alaska biodegradation research, co-ordination with NOAA National Marine Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife, the Alaska Zoo and Alaska SeaLife Center in development of Arctic marine mammal response capabilities and participation in the Mechanical Recovery work stream of the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology (OGP) JIP. ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company (EMURC) has an ongoing research and development programme on Arctic and cold weather oil spill response mostly focused on remote sensing and enhanced oil spill response techniques. Ongoing projects include evaluation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for detection of oil in and under ice. NMR uses the earth’s magnetic field to differentiate the subtle differences of hydrogen protons in water and oil. The NMR concept has advanced past laboratory and initial field testing and is currently being evaluated for a full-scale test. Efforts to enhance Arctic oil spill response have focused on existing technologies and making their use more effective for the Arctic. The use of surface dispersants has long been part of the oil spill response toolbox. A gel dispersant has been developed for treating more viscous oils in cold OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015 I XV
oil spill response
marine environments. The gel-like consistency allows for greater encounter time with the viscous oil, allowing the dispersant time to break down the oil into biodegradable droplets. A consideration for using dispersants on surface oil in the ice-covered waters is the dampening of surface waves by the ice, which may limit dispersant effectiveness due to limited surface turbulence and mixing energy. Ice-breakers have been tested at the basin scale and were found to produce enough mixing energy to promote dispersant effectiveness. In 2011, the American Petroleum Institute (API) initiated a four-year research and development JIP (API JIP) focused on subsea dispersant injection. Subsea injection of dispersants offers some significant benefits compared to the application of dispersants on the sea surface, for example, access to the freshest and non-emulsified oil in the high turbulence environment, ability to reduce the volume of required dispersant by injecting it directly into the oil stream without the loss of the product, ability to operate day and night under a wider range of weather conditions and availability of a large water mass to rapidly decrease the concentration of a dispersed oil plume. Subsea injection of dispersants also reduces concentration of the volatile organic compounds at the water surface, creating a safer work environment for spill responders and well control specialists. The API JIP scope includes research on application methods, effectiveness, plume modelling, monitoring techniques and potential environmental effects of oil dispersed subsea. Although this work is not specifically Arctic focused, many of its findings should also be applicable to Arctic regions. The use of subsea dispersants would greatly reduce the amount of oil that would become trapped under or encased in ice.
Finnish and Norwegian scientists have historically conducted research on Arctic and cold-weather response techniques. This work continues with the development of new icecapable oil spill recovery vessels by Aker Arctic, development of high capacity Arctic skimmers by skimmer manufacturers as well as the work of the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE). A team of international researchers recently evaluated sensors for detecting oil under sea ice in a test tank experiment at Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA), a research and test facility in Hamburg, Germany. Some other projects conducted in Norway for sub-Arctic conditions include the SYMBIOSES model, which can assist with net environmental benefit analysis of response options and a JIP evaluating environmental impacts and response options in coastal environments. The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies has sponsored research focused on sub-Arctic oil spill response for years. This programme also includes yearly offshore exercises and tests with real oil. With increasing interest to Arctic operations, this programme will likely add oil in ice projects to its portfolio. The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) was established by the US Congress in response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Its mandate is to support research, education and demonstration projects designed to respond to and understand the effects of oil spills in the Arctic and subArctic marine environments. Over the years, OSRI has funded numerous projects on Arctic spill response and evaluation of environmental impacts. Among currently funded projects is an evaluation of an aerostat for oil spill remote sensing, provision of oil spill drifter buoys to the US Coast Guard Arctic Shield exercise,
evaluation of sonar’s ability to detect oil in and under ice and support to University of Alaska biodegradation research. For three decades, the BSEE was the principal United States federal agency funding oil spill response research, including Arcticrelevant research, and has maintained a comprehensive long-term programme to improve oil spill response technologies. The BSEE research programme is addressing oil spill research needs on two levels – through direct applied research and through testing, training and basic research conducted at Ohmsett, the national oil spill response test facility in Leonardo, New Jersey. The US Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center has conducted field deployments of response equipment in icecovered waters in the Great Lakes and most recently in collaboration with USCG District 17 in offshore Alaska during Arctic Shield exercises in 2012 and 2013. The objective of these exercises in realistic field conditions (albeit without oil) was to do a capability assessment of existing response equipment and evaluate potential technologies that could enhance the efficiency of oil spill response in Arctic waters, specifically in broken ice that will not support personnel and equipment. During the Arctic exercises, several remote sensing techniques were tested including ROVs and unmanned underwater vehicles, the Swift Buoy (which is used to measure turbulence), and an aerostat. A stand-alone common operating picture (ERMA) was also evaluated with support from NOAA. During Great Lakes demonstrations, booms for in situ burning, several skimmers (drum, rope mop and brush) and water monitor herding were deployed in ice conditions. OSJ
Much effort continues to be put into developing techniques for mechanical recovery of oil in ice XVI I OSJ arctic & ice-class vessels supplement 2015
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2015 • A supplement to Offshore Support Journal
arctic & ice-class vessels
guide to
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Long-term approach could pay dividends for ice-ships Spill response technology benefits from collaborative approach New technology adds to ice-management expertise
The 50 most influential people in the offshore support vessel industry – the trendsetters, dealmakers, innovators and individuals with a commitment to excellence, safety and meeting customer requirements
Fast-moving DP sector
at a crossroads BP concerned by assurance, certification and inappropriate use Evolving sector influenced by many changes “OCIMF is very concerned at the fragmentation in the control and issue of DP certification. Formation of several issuing bodies with different standards is not an ideal situation.” John Flynn, offshore assurance superintendent, BP Shipping
“Significant investment is needed, but the rewards are large. Long-term – not shortterm – prices are the leading indicator of whether Arctic oil is economic.” Morten G Aggvin, market analyst, Viking Supply Ships, see page XIII
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