They said it was built for 100 foot waves. hey have never had a 'significant' spill in 30 years. Their goal was zero harm to the environment and the people in the area. They said that safety is engrained in aver ounce of everything they do. And yet just one year after they said all this the Kulluk is went adrift and ran aground.


Kulluk

The platform broke loose from it's tow vehicle during a severe storm which apparently never happens near Kodiak Island in Alaska.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

So, What's New ?

Hopefully no "Drunken Sailors" here,BUT how long since the Exxon Valdez?

I'm still having trouble Wrapping my head around the idea of a "Platform"
having a Captain.
(What duties are there for a Captain whose "Vessel" is towed everywhere?)
[Sort of like Corporations being declared Legal People/Citizens?]

BUT if THAT "Platform" had some luckless bastard designated in Captaincy
She or He will most likely accrue the Blame.

OR share the Infamy with the Tug Captain.

_________________________________________________________________

Two Outfits "Cut you NO Slack" in extremis situations That COULD have been
anticipated:

The Boy Scouts: "Be Prepared"

AND

The United States Coast Guard: "Semper Paratus" (Always Ready)

(AND by "you" I mean themselves,The Scouts and The Guard.)

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

It is not uncommon for rigs like this to be towed to warmer climes for refitting during the winter. This rig was being towed to Seattle when a storm broke out and waves hit 40 feet.

The Coast Guard was called in to help, but they found the situation too far gone to deal with, so the rig was cut loose from the towing barge. (I guess the CG really did help. They were smart enough to see how bad things were.)

All the people were removed, so it is just adrift. The only spill that will take place from this is the diesel that is in its' bunkers.

It is like any other ship in distress. It just is not powered and has to be towed.

This is not quite FUBAR, but it is close.

Ocean towing is a tough business, things like this happen all the time.

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1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Guess I just have a hard time trusting them to be competent in drilling safely when they have issues moving a platform.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

The rig wasn't drilling while being towed.

I'll just bet there are all kinds of maritime laws governing who is responsible for a towed vessel at sea.

They could have been high speed drilling.

I can see where you are coming from, but there are two different crews for two different uses.

When drilling the crew is used for drilling and keeping the platform stable. This is normally done on newer rigs with thrusters, but older rigs are anchored in place.

When transporting all the drilling crew is gone and only the Seamen remain. Often a new crew is bought in for the transportation of the rig since they have to work with the barge company.

This rig has floated to an island and is beached there. This is a good thing since when the storm abates it can be checked and then towed away.

That much makes sense but Shell is the one writing the checks and has the final say right? Could they have used additional tugs as a precaution? Tucked away somewhere when the storm was predicted? Seems like there could have been ways to prepare better and avert this problem. I'm not in the business and you seem to know quite a bit about the industry so if you say they did everything they could I'll differ to your judgement, for the time being.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Apparently not everything was done that could be done, else this wouldn't have happened. I suspect the court case will hinge on whether the towing company and Shell did everything prudent and reasonable.

Dueling expert witnesses.

I guess poor wording on my part. Did they cut corners as corporations are apt to do or did they do it by the book and with good faith?

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

That's why god made lawyers on the 8th day.

Somebody had to second-guess the first 7 days' work.

This kind of thing never happened when the world depended on whale oil instead of dino oil! Those where the days!

No Environmental Harm,No Foul ?

Shell's Kulluk Ship In Alaska's Gulf Reattached To Towing Vessels (PHOTO)

OR could this be an opportunity to "Tighten Up" What's Kosher and what's not
in the Beaufort Sea (AND all of Alaska) ?

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

I don't really see the big deal, stuff seems to break lose all the time.

Its called the ocean, its unpredictable.

Didn't an old battleship break free a few years back while getting towed to dry dock?

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200