Flotta Oil Terminal.

Hello,

Today id like to share a few images taken at Flotta oil and gas processing terminal.

The Flotta Terminal is located on the island of Flotta in the Orkney Islands just north of mainland Scotland. It was commissioned in 1977, with Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited becoming the major shareholder and operator in May 2000. The terminal covers a 395-acre site, approximately one-sixth of the area of Flotta Island. Crude oil is imported to the Flotta Oil Terminal from several offshore installations through a 30” subsea pipeline. The pipeline is fed from the following Repsol Sinopec Operated fields; Claymore, Scapa, Piper ‘B’, Tweedsmuir, Tartan, Highlander, Duart, Petronella, Galley and Nexen’s operated Golden Eagle field.

The crude oil processing facilities consist of three separate crude stabilisation trains operating in parallel. This allows a design maximum plant flowrate of 375,000 bbl/d to be processed between the three trains.

The stabilised crude is then transferred to the Crude Oil Storage area with the Desalter wash water transferred to the Desalter Water Treatment plant.

There are currently insufficient volumes of gas supply to sustain the operation of the gas processing plant; as such the gas plant facility was decommissioned in 2017/2018. Gas from the overhead stabilisation process is utilised as fuel gas at the hot oil heaters and powerhouse which generate site electricity using duel fuel turbines. Any excess gas is used at the powerhouse, where there is spare generating capacity to allow additional power export to the national grid.

Oil Rig.

Hello,

How are you?

Today id like to share 4 images of an North sea oil and gas platform.

There have been a few images on this blog now and more to come.

I would like to know what your thoughts are on the camera used to take these images?

Ill reveal in the next rig post.

Have a good weekend.

Lee

Accommodation at sea

Hello,

Id like to share a couple of images of the accommodation vessel the Safe Boreas attached to the side of the Mariner A platform.

Again as previously talked about, all about the timing. There is around 2 hours difference between these two images.

Have a good weekend.

Lee

The Mariner A oil and gas platform

Hello,

Today i thought that i would talk about the oil / gas rig that you will have seen images of. I was involved with the construction of this beast. At any one time there was 850 people offshore.

As oil rigs go, this is a one of kind.

The Mariner oilfield is located in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) east of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, in block 9/11a. It was discovered in 1981 at a depth of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) below sea level. Water depth in the area is about 100 metres (330 ft). Estimated recovery is at least 250 million barrels (40×106 m3) of oil. 

As of December 2012 the operator, Statoil (now Equinor), made the investment decision and final approval of the field development plan by the UK authorities is in progress. The plan envisages a production, drilling and quarters platform based on a conventional steel jacket, exporting oil via a floating storage unit.

The oil is heavy and viscous, with API gravities of 12.1°–14.6° and viscosities ranging from 67cp in the field's Maureen reservoir to 508cp in the Heimdal reservoir. The small volume of associated gas will be used as fuel for the platform, and more fuel gas will be imported via a connection to the nearby Vesterled pipeline.

In summary

It took over 35 years to work out how to extract this super heavy thick oil. The diluting solution that mixes with the oil, thins it out, and we end up with an even better product. As this platform isn’t on a pipe line, she is connected a large vessel, known as an FSU (floating storage unit) This FSU pumps the diluting solution to the platform, and the platform then pumps back the recovered oil. A large tanker comes into the field every few days to collect the produced oil.

Amazing isn’t it.

Have a good week.

Lee

Prosafe - Safe Boreas

Hello,

I want to share some images taken of an accommodation vessel..

The Safe Boreas is the most advanced and efficient harsh environment accommodation vessel in the world, constructed to comply with Norwegian regulations.

The vessel has the capacity to accommodate 450 persons in single man cabins.

The layout of the unit is unique, with two large internal atriums allowing natural daylight into cabins, mess room and recreational areas.

The vessel is named after Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind and the bringer of cold winter air.

The name reflects that the vessel is designed for operating in the Norwegian and UK North Sea, a geographical area renown for its cold climate and harsh winters.

The key is to wait...

Hello how are you?

Have you had a good festive period.

Thats it all over and back to normal for me now.

Q. What is the difference with the above images?

A. About half an hour..

It is amazing how waiting can have such a difference to your images.

In half an hour the sky semi cleared, even look at the sea, waves calmed down and the setting sun caught the clouds nicely.

So please take your time, slow down, bag the image and then wait till the suns gone as you never know how mother nature will react…

Have a great weekend.

Lee

Oil and Gas platform.

Hello,

Today i would like to share three images, all taken within a few minutes on one another,

I thought it gives a good visual on the setting sun and blue hour.

Sometimes there isn’t a spectacular sun set.

With these industrial beauties, blue hour is my favourite as the contrast against the warm flood lights look amazing.

I hope that you have a good weekend,

Be sure to subscribe to keep up to date.

Lee

Oil and Gas platform.

Hello and welcome

Today i’d like to show these two images of the Mariner A, Uk North sea oil and gas platform.

hope that you have had a great weekend.

and if you have not yet subscribed to my newsletter then please do below.

Lee

The last flight to the BP Miller.

Today I want to show you the last ever flight to the BP Miller oil and gas platform. 

Also give you an insight in what happens during a routine Helicopter crew change. 

The H.L.O gives permission for a flight to land on the deck. 

Offshore worker, happy to be returning to work. 

Arriving offshore workers in their survival suits picking up their luggage and leave the helideck. 

Bristows Helicopter pilot. 

Helideck team get ready the refuelling hose. 

A Bristows, Sikorsky S92 Helicopter being refuelled on the oil and gas platform. 

Departing offshore worker. 

Button her up, time to leave. 

As this was the last flight, the pilot was happy to conduct a fly by :) 

Offshore rope access technicians.

Hello, 

Today id like to show some of the IRATA rope access technicians that were involved in the decommissioning of the BP Miller. 

Welding on dead weight supports to the risers. 

Rope access welder cutting a riser. 

Long tiring climb back up. 

Rope techs at height happy in their work. 

BP Miller decommissioning Scaffolder.

The offshore scaffolder. 

They put up and take down scaffolding that allow offshore workers to reach higher levels during construction, decommissioning, maintenance or cleaning tasks.

Oil and gas Industrial Medic.

Hello, 

This is the platform medic. 

In the UK oil and gas industry there is a requirement for all installations to have sufficient medical cover and provisions. 

The offshore medics role - 

 Treat people working on an offshore oil or gas rig for any injuries or illnesses. 

Provide medical care for anyone on the rig or platform who has an accident and make sure that people are fit and safe to work. The health, safety and welfare of all those working on the rig would be the medics responsibility. They also carry out administrative tasks.

• Provide 24-hour medical care for the crew
• Carry out routine health checks
• Treat illnesses and minor wounds
• Keep accurate medical records
• Train other people on the rig in first aid
• Order new supplies of medicines and equipment
• Carry out health promotion activities 
• Advise on health and safety issues
• Arrange for very ill people to be taken back to land for treatment

The medic advises the senior managers if they thought a person was not fit for work or might affect other people’s safety.

If someone had an injury or illness that you were not sure how to treat, they would phone the onshore company doctor for advice.

Offshore standby vessel.

In the UK oil and gas industry, it is a requirement for a standby vessel to be present. These vessels primarily cover helicopter operations and if any work has to be conducted where there is a potential to fail to sea. (known as outboard work). These vessels sit there, day in day out, no matter the weather they provide us with emergency cover and would spring to life and help rescue if the unlikely event ever arose. 

Testing of fire equipment.

Along with practicing emergency exercises, an oil and gas platform regularly tests its emergency equipment. Today we see the helideck fire fighting equipment being tested. 

Tannoy being given, to warn all personnel of cascading water and that fire pumps are about to start. 

Technician remote starting pumps from different panels. 

BP Miller oil and gas installation Helideck.

Today id like to show a few single images. In recent times the Civil aviation has instructed for all UK oil and gas installations to install specific lighting set up on their helidecks, if they require flights in the hours of darkness.

The illuminated helideck against a North Sea sunset makes for quite an interesting image. 

Thanks

Lee

Offshore Emergency rope access response exercise.

Hello, 

Today we see another emergency exercise. As you can see in the oil and gas industry we regularly drill and test the emergency response plan. 

It is the old adage -  fail to prepare, prepare to fail. 

It is a legal requirement to have a plan on what to do in an emergency, but does it work? 

Testing different scenarios on a regularly basis ensures that the plan works, and keeps the emergency response team skills fresh. 

Todays scenario, is in the above image. In this case we are using an inanimate dummy. But it is to practice how to rescue a rope access worker, working under deck. 

IRATA rope access technician donning his harness. 

The rope access supervisor, using his equipment to haul the pretend casualty up to the deck. 

Platform fire team member safely has hands on the practice casualty. 

The platform Medic and his first aid team, practice administrating first aid, and using the different types of stretchers required. 

Platform medic, coordinates the fire team members on lifting the stretcher and places it into the "frog", to lift the practice casualty from the lower levels of the platform, up to the installation sickbay. 

Fire team leader, in communications with the crane operator. They safely lift the practice casualty to the platform sickbay. 

Fire team emergency response exercise.

Hello, 

Following on from last weeks post, today we see the Emergency response team practicing if there was an emergency inside the accommodation. 

Above is the fire team leader, his role here is directing his fire team, maintaining communications between his team, and the platform control room. 

The O.I.M setting the scene, and briefing the emergency fire team.  

For exercise - there has been indication of smoke inside the accommodation. 

Fire team leader, briefing his team on a suspected accommodation fire indicated on the panel. 

Fire team, updating the leader with information. 

Fire team, practicing safe fire door drills. 

O.I.M and his Deputy, reading through the Emergency response plan.

O.I.M updating the platform personnel, on the situation. The deputy O.I.M calling the coast guard, for exercise purposes informing them of our drill, and establishing helicopter response times.

The scribe, updates relevant information, like wind direction and sea conditions incase we needed to evacuate. 

Crane operator, working the supply vessel.

Hello, 

Today ill like to show how an oil rig offloads new supplies, which range from equipment, tools and most importantly food! 

While it is down to the crane operator to offload the containers from the supply vessel, it is all orchestrated by the offshore materials coordinator. 

The materials controller duties:

• Arranging for the despatch and delivery of materials and goods
• Making sure that materials and equipment have the necessary certification.
• Ensuring that relevant stores are aware of deliveries and that they allocate space for goods on arrival.
• Chasing up suppliers to ensure goods and materials are delivered on time to meet business needs.
• Maintaining the materials management system.
• Preparing reports on materials receipt and delivery and on the performance of suppliers
• Acting as a focal point for suppliers and internal departments for questions about materials scheduling, problems, and the like.

Norwegian supply vessel crew, unhooking the containers. 

BP Miller decommissioning core crew.

This fine body of men.... 

Are one half of the Petrofac core crew involved with the mammoth task of decommissioning and removing a north sea oil rig. While this crew is offshore, our opposite numbers are at home on leave. 

This group is made up of the management, technical authorities, and lead technicians, that are required on board to keep a rig running safely.

Petrofac O.I.M.

Petrofac Project Manager.

Petrofac Project Manager.

The above, were the Petrofac offshore management for the project, all with different attributes and experiences, but all shared one key value - people skills.

You can be the most knowledgeable leader, but if your team are not supporting you, then you might as well give up.

These gents led by example, with integrity, and support. When the chips were down, could pick the whole team back up. Inspirational. 

Now we called in back to backs and so all the core crew now on board, for the task of shutting down the platform. A mammoth task, completed with safety at the forefront and ahead of the schedule.  

Offshore - O.I.M

The Petrofac O.I.M for the BP Miller decommissioning project.  

The Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) is the most senior manager of an offshore platform operating on the UKCS.

Many offshore operators have adopted this UK offshore management model and title and applied it to their operations in all global regions irrespective of the local regulations in force.

In the UK the individual must be officially registered as an OIM with the Offshore Safety Division of the Health and Safety Executive and the OIM is responsible for the health, welfare and safety of the personnel on board the installation, whether a drilling rig, production platform or a support vessel (e.g. a flotel).

Thanks

Lee

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