" Unless they are gonna do subsea work in a hurricane DP3 is overkill for this area".
Not to get things confused here; DP Classes has nothing to do with weather capabilities, only with consequences of failure and redundancy of equipment:
The consequence class concept for Class 2 and 3 is entirely based upon redundant solutions, which make it possible to retain a minimum range of equipment and functions is in operationwhen others have failed.
Class 0 was a sort of “never mind” operations where nothing could go seriously wrong.Any vessel that could operate in DP mode at all, could not avoid meeting Class 3
requirements. That class disappeared with the introduction of the IMO Guidelines. PS> Also known as “Enhanced Joystick”
Class 1 operations are those where loss of position may cause some pollution and minor
economical damage, but excluding severe harm to people.
Class 2 operation are those where loss of position may cause severe pollution, large
economical damage, and accidents to people.
Class 3 operations are those where major damages may occur, severe pollution, and fatal
accidents.
To obtain NMD DP-3 status requires 100% redundancy on ALL systems involved with the functioning of DP, incl. two separate Generator rooms, Propulsion rooms, switch board spaces etc.
The DPOs, ETO and Engine room staff have to have special training and proven knowledge of Emergency Procedures for the system, machinery and equipment involved. (Annual refresher)
Are there any vessels, aside from a few of the Drillships and some of the foreign vessel engaged in the GOM that meet these requirements?
[QUOTE=ombugge;184179] " Unless they are gonna do subsea work in a hurricane DP3 is overkill for this area".
Not to get things confused here; DP Classes has nothing to do with weather capabilities, only with consequences of failure and redundancy of equipment:
To obtain NMD DP-3 status requires 100% redundancy on ALL systems involved with the functioning of DP, incl. two separate Generator rooms, Propulsion rooms, switch board spaces etc.
The DPOs, ETO and Engine room staff have to have special training and proven knowledge of Emergency Procedures for the system, machinery and equipment involved. (Annual refresher)
Are there any vessels, aside from a few of the Drillships and some of the foreign vessel engaged in the GOM that meet these requirements?
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;184181]Even most new gen drilling rigs and drillships are DP2, worldwide. Most of what is DP3 are flotels.[/QUOTE]
Lots of Ultradeep Drillships, OCVs, Pipelayers and even Heavy Lift Vessels are DP3 class these days.
For DSVs operating on the Norwegian OCS, DP3 has been compulsory for many years.
When I was in DP school in Lowestoft in the early 90’s the teacher said that DP-3 was only
required when you used divers below the vessel. The teacher was David Bray, he wrote
the book on DP.
[QUOTE=AHTS Master;184192]When I was in DP school in Lowestoft in the early 90’s the teacher said that DP-3 was only
required when you used divers below the vessel. The teacher was David Bray, he wrote
the book on DP.[/QUOTE]
In the early 90’s that was right and then only REQUIRED if working in Norwegian waters, or if Norwegian flag.
I don’t care if it’s DP5 class, fuck those furin flagged motherfuckers. Every major player in the GOM has vessels in their fleet capable of doing everything the canyon boat can do.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;184197]I don’t care if it’s DP5 class, fuck those furin flagged motherfuckers. Every major player in the GOM has vessels in their fleet capable of doing everything the canyon boat can do.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;184197]I don’t care if it’s DP5 class, fuck those furin flagged motherfuckers. Every major player in the GOM has vessels in their fleet capable of doing everything the canyon boat can do.[/QUOTE]
Ask the oil companies why they hire the furin vessels. Don’t be mad at the furin they just trying to make a livin’. If the oil companies prefer the furin, at the same or higher day rate, there must be a reason.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;184200]You can bet your ass it’s lower, in the end it’s all about money.[/QUOTE]
You shouldn’t bet away anything that may be dear to you.
I would be surprised if Helix gets these vessels cheaper than they could the HOS 430’ Class.
They may be Panama flag, but you are unlikely to find many “Panamanians” or cheap “Bengali” on board.
The Marine crew is only a small number, many of them Norwegians who are not low paid, or low over all cost.
To hire someone from Louisiana on “day rate”, 28/14 schedule, no travel expenses and very little other costs would be a wet dream for the owner of these vessels.
Even better, who can be laid off “in the blink of an eye”, in case the vessel should be idled. No redundancy pay and other obligations.
You cannot do that with European crew on permanent employment contracts.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;184200]You can bet your ass it’s lower, in the end it’s all about money.[/QUOTE]
I know a few contracts with these “furin” companies. They are not lower. In the end it is not all about the daily money. It is about safety record, performance, professional reputation and relationships between companies. When choosing a contractor oil companies often think like this…should I hire someone that has worked with us all over the world for many years or the local yokels that SAY they can do the same job? I’d give them a shot but they have to give me lower price to take the risk vs the people I know already. All I have to do is file a few papers with my US agent to get a permit for my chosen contractor to work in the USA. So I will stick with those with the track record I know.
I’d be willing to bet most of those waivers won’t be handed out so easily this next time around. As I’ve stated already every major player has similar capable assets in the market. Now that most of the riff raff has departed the area it won’t be so easy getting back in. Lots of money was spent to build these vessels the customers want. Lots of lawyers on payroll to fight those waivers when they are applied for. I guess we will see how it all shakes out…if it even gets going again.
I don’t know if ECO is still building the X-Bow, but HOS is building some really capable construction vessels. I’m sure they have some Bayou blood in them, such as 4 man rooms or shared heads and a makeshift gym, but the guts are there to do some serious work.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;184211]I’d be willing to bet most of those waivers won’t be handed out so easily this next time around. As I’ve stated already every major player has similar capable assets in the market. Now that most of the riff raff has departed the area it won’t be so easy getting back in. Lots of money was spent to build these vessels the customers want. Lots of lawyers on payroll to fight those waivers when they are applied for. I guess we will see how it all shakes out…if it even gets going again.
Oh and the local yokels can hold their own.[/QUOTE]
Fraq, just so you know but these foreign vessels working in the GoM need no waivers at all to come in. It is only the crews on them who need to work under waivers of the manning statutes of the OCSLA. A vessel 51% foreign owned can retain the manning the owners desire based on the mistaken idea that these vessels are under the “effective control” of the owners and not the charters who are generally more than 51% American owned. Once the foreign ownership is established, the USCG automatically gives the ok for CPB to issue OCS B1 Visas to the crewmembers.
The rancid thing in all this is that the vessels are not controlled by the owners but by the charters however our grand and glorious goobermint STOOPIDLY believes otherwise. All that is needed if for HOS to file suit in Federal District court in New Orleans against the USCG and CBP demanding that the control of these vessels rests with Canyon, Helix, et all who are American corporations. If the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs then the owners of these vessels would be forced to replace all their foreign nationals with US citizens and WE ALL WOULD HAVE THOSE JOBS!
GODDAMNED! I wish I had gone back to school and gotten that law degree when I was thinking of doing it in the 90’s! If I was a lawyer, I’d file that FUCKING suit myself!
Now, regarding the legal ability of foreign vessels to work on the GoM OCS, that would require that Congress change the wording of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (US Code title 43) to prohibit any foreign flagged vessel from working on the OCS which is not 100% US manned or better still that any vessel working on the OCS be US flagged. The only vessels working on the OCS which presently must be US flagged are those which carry cargo in some form vis mud and crewboats. This is why drillships and all subsea vessels are allowed to be foreign built and flagged. THIS MUST BE CHANGED AND ALL THE BAYOU MAFIA BOSSES CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN IF THEY WOULD JUST WAKE THE FUCK UP TO ALL THEY ARE LOSING! I have spoken with OMSA and their reply was that they only care about the foreign boats lifting shit off the dock in Fourchon and taking it offshore. FUCKING IGNORANT PINHEADS!
How would a modern OCV not being Jones Act compliant, but being US flagged, owned and operated by an American entity be treated relative to a foreign flag vessel?
There are many top end vessels around that could be available for sale, either outright, or in a “special arrangement” deal.
There MAY be Owners willing to join up with a US Citizen to form a “nominally” US company to own and operate their vessels in US waters. Any interested forum members??
