Member Info for adoubleuk

Slipanchor,

"Looks like the TL and support vessels are underway again."

Yup. Making 5 kt, and (to my surprise) still on single-line behind the Siem Opal. I thought yesterday's little holdup might have involved getting Skandi Bergen onto the bridle, but evidently not.

Five knots seems like a reasonable average so 'forward-looking' shipwatchers can figure out ETA in the field from that if they want! And a few hours here or there is meaningless.

Cebo,

Yes.

share_talk,

"Work has officially started at #WestNewton-2, with the red blowback preventer laid on the pad..."

Just ignore these tweets sent by ignorant know-nothings, mate!

'Blowback preventor' indeed! What was delivered was the 'Hydril', generic term for the annular preventor, just part of the entire BOP stack.

Looking at the picture someone has posted of the rig (on an earlier well) it looks a bit like a Cabot 1200, though wouldn't swear to that. But gives me a clue as to who the contractor may be.

At the rate of progress it'll be at least a week before spud.

BlooBird,

Pls excuse two tyos in my reply to you.

'Unlikely', not 'likely.

And 'bad seas' not 'bas'.

Having filed copy about truckracing at three this morning I'm being a bit 'keyboard lazy' right now...

SotB,

One part of your post I forgot to answer.

".Drilling shortly and still way off a quid what’s your thoughts ?"

The Snail and myself had deep discussions about this over a very pleasant couple of days, as you may have read here.

What are my thoughts?

!!***µµ### ***~~ ???, etc...

Or dig out an old Tintin book and look at some of Captain Haddock's thought-bubbles when he was in a bad mood...

SotB,

OGA only allows spud in daylight? OK, I'll take your word for it, but that's total madness.

"Did you listen to the red nosed dwarf the other day? How he earns a living is beyond me, stuttering and stammering his way through the interview with RT"

Assuming I've deduced who you mean, yes I did, and he's becoming an embarassment, and I'm not surprised RT is avoiding such interviews these days. The commentary on vox today was even worse. Don't get me wrong, I hold nothing against the large man. But regarding Hurricane he's now waay out of his depth. And Dr T's slightly 'tighter' smile made that clear.

PS Totally O/T, I'm currently reading Michael Perkinson's autobiography, written ten years ago. And it's quite fascinating, and excellent reading. I recommend it thoroughly, but wish it were Parky interviewing RT!

Rangers,

If you're online right now, check out SB's position and what's just approaching (2 minutes before writing this).

Whatever, Transocean or Skandi's problem, not ours.

SotB,

We were writing at the same time. But huh,

" and can only Spud in daylight"

Why? Are they scared of the dark? Sometimes it's been known to happen for 'spud' to be slightly delayed so it occurs around either six at night, six in the morning, midnight, or midday. But that's just for paperwork reporting reasons. Or avoiding 'spudding' at the same time as the morning call. Stuff like that.

OK, don't perforate at night, or open up a DST at night, but 'spud'? From memory one's fooling around with the spud bit and the 9-1/2" drill collars at around 02:35, in the pouring rain and it blowing a hooley...

ken10,

"Hi does anyone know how long it takes to spud once the rig is on site?"

Difficult to answer, not knowing how much 'kit' is being carried onboard during the tow, and so on. It's decades since I've worked in 'northern waters' as well, so other posters here might have a better idea. But don't hold your breath for it being much less than a week, is my opinion.

BlooBird,

"No wonder a lot of the big boys are taking a wait & see approach."

'Big Boys' my tin fittings! Deep in the wallet, but soft in the head, unwilling to face the fact they will probably have considerable egg on their faces in six months' time, and scared stiff of making a decision with a one percent of backfiring on their nice execuctive salaries.

"Sick of arguing with them. They'll see.", to quote Dr Trice.

Morons with Saville Row suits.

BlooBird,

"If that single line snapped, do you know if there is any danger of it whipping back and striking one of the tug-boat crew … or are there safeguards to prevent that from happening?"

Fret not, that would not happen. And anyway, the chances of the tow 'snapping' are very low. Despite my use of the technical term 'tight tow', the line is not a thing stretched tight over the ocean, like some sort of strongman act! In fact most of the line will be below the surface of the waves. Naturally it's in tension, but the only time there might be some kind of whiplash effect would be in the very likely circumstance that the wire parted more or less on the tug's deck. And there's no reason that should happen, except in and unexpectedly hitting excedingly high weather. But if bas seas were forcast, they wouldn't have started the tow.

This is a routine job for the people doing it, unlike the buoy pullin and subsequent 'rope saga', which was the first time in 14 years, (if memory is correct).

Also heavily over-engineered, with massive safety margins.

Personally I've only seen a towline fail once, (at a designed 'weak point'), during a jackup tow off W.Africa, and already despite both tugs giving it all they'd got, we were moving backwards! The line just flopped into the water. OK, sorting it out took a while, 'cos now we were moving backwards even faster, with other platforms not too far away. But that's a different story.

Cebo,

"Leader due to arrive at Warwick @ 1100hrs on the 11th April"

Yup! I saw she came to a full stop at the anchorage about an hour ago (dropping off the pilot?) but now heading northeast at 4.6 kt under tight tow from Siem Opal with Skandi Bergen riding shotgun.

I find it interesting they're doing just a single-line tow. Must be good weather ahead.

At last. 'Shipwatchers' are back in business...

Rangers,

"AWK - Just a wake up call and I think you know it! "

Har Har! But you're dead right. After a memorable weekend like this one, I need 'wakeup calls'!

But (open question, just out of interest), surely the pilot will be on the lead tug, not the rig, where there will be a 'towmaster' anyway?

Good to see a bit of 'shipwatching' kicking back in...

Patience...

MCB55,

The rig's been on 'restricted manoeuverability' for the last fortnight!

Rangers,

Hi!

"Why no commentary?"

'Cos the rig's still alongside the dock, and the boats aren't close enough to have put on a towline, yet!

;-))

Nigwit,

A while since you've posted here...

"In my view the Times article is significant. It’s the first buy tip in any independent quality press since the fund raise almost two years ago. It’s timing is also auspicious with oil also doing well again and the new tax year commencing."

I agree, on the simple basis like there's no such thing as bad publicity.

But I can't help wondering 'why now?'. Especially as (as you say) it's a blatent 'buy tip'. Do you base your investment decisions on tips in the newspapers? I certainly don't. But the Times has slowly degenerated into Daily Mail territory over the years, so nothing surprises me.

I wonder who might have 'tipped' the Times into running this article at this particular time? Not someone notorious for selling into SP rises, by any chance?

Foresight22,

"Sunday Times article which is very well informed - full of oily lingo & language!"

I beg to differ with your opinion. Especially regarding the 'oily lingo & language" bit. Lots of people try that on. Malcy is a prime example. Makes 'em sound knowledgable, when in fact they aren't.

Lewisian Gneiss (the major geological componant of Hurricane's 'fractured basement' reservoirs isn't hard and brittle rock'. It's hard and friable.

(Nothing to do with Mars Bars in batter, by the way.)

SIPP,

"I don't think anyone can tie down FOIL to a company event. It will happen when it happens "

I beg to differ with you. 'It will happen when it happens' rings slightly (I use an instantly-imagined sort of simile), "Mount St Helen's will next erupt when Mount St Helen's next erupts". Something up to chance and the forces of nature.

FoiL from the EPS (or rather its timing) has nothing to do with Mother Nature, or at least, not in the same way. It's under Human control. Might just be a question of WHEN someone operates a valve, or pushes a switch. But even then, it might also depend on someone making an executive decision as to when exactly the RNS is released...