On the Topic...

A couple of insects..
They are a few days old, so maybe they all are in little Burt-Bat's stomach by now. He is still around and hunting during dark hours. Had the pleasure of starting to prepare the "manifest forms" for all the helicopters that are to be used during our crew change next week. 2 choppers the 6th, and 5 the 7th.

Naagra fler insekter.
Kanske de aer i Fladder-Musses mage vid det haer laget. Han aer kvar och aer ute paa jakt rundor ikvaell igen. Har glaedjen att faa boerja foerbereda helikopter manifest nu idag, lista vilka som aaker paa vilken helikopter, namn, vikt samt vikt paa bagaget. Vi har avloesning i naesta vecka. 2 helikoptrar den 6:e och 5 helikoptar den 7:e.

Indian Cricket, not a sport…

…But a beautiful insect I photo’d the other day.

Not at all camera shy.

I also had a visit from Burt- Bat this morning. I think again someone stumbled upon his daily rest and “hiding place”. After 5 minutes he settled down probably found a good place again. Right now evening time, I see him from my window flying around in the darkness, catching moths and other nocturnal flying insects hovering around and above the “lit” vessels deck. Impressed by the technic
of using “sonar” for locating the prey, and how quickly he changes direction, good flyer.

Indisk Graeshoppa.

Fick ett par fina bilder haerom dagen, en riktigt fin bamsing.

Indien-Musse doek upp idag foermiddags. Naagon hade saekert snubblat oever hans goemstaelle och stoert hans dagssoemn.

Han "nockade av" efter 5 minuters virrvarrande och nu ikvaell ser jag honom flyga runt oever baat deck jagandes mal och nattfjaerilar som samlats runt och oever daecksbelysningen. Imponerad oever hans snabbhet, flygskicklighet och givetvis oever den fantastiska tekniken med att skicka ut ljudsignaler framfoer sig och analysera dess reflektioner, istaellet foer att titta med oegon. helt fantastiskt.

Weather?

Expected weather today, many other operators has “fled” the field, leaving us, Hugin & Munin to do “our thing”. Very good, because all other operations are complicating, and delaying our work. Weather still fine, we are progressing and are happy. (Burt the Bat, "took off" last night, he did not even say good bye:-(

Vi vaentade vaeder idag, men det kom nog paa skam. Maanga andra aktoerer har laemnat faeltet, saa det aer mycket laettare foer Hugin och Munin att koera paa, utan att foersenas av deras aktiviteter. Vi har fortsatt bra vaeder, saa vi verkar ha tur, och aer ju glada foer det.. 

Indien Musse laemnade igaar kvaell, utan att saega adjoe. Aer lite besviken :-(

“Burt the Bat” onboard .

Thought it was a funny looking bird trying to get into the bridge windows. Turns out to be a bat.

Poor little creature, all stressed out, looking to hide away from the bright daylight.
He (or she?)Finally managed to squeeze  “itself” into a little corner . We put out some cover, provided fruit and water, hoping that he is a vegetarian, not a “moth eater” (no clue?)
Sleeping all day.  Let’s hope he recovers tonight when darkness falls.

Providing a photo  of a bat I took in Dalhousie NB (Canada) onboard Maria Gorthon,  June 2006. That fisty little bugger, managed to fly into our accommodation. We had to try, and we managed, to chase him out again without injuring him. In comparison, Canada-Burt is a little furry ball, India-Burt is probably not expecting the Celsius to drop below the zero at any time, thus less fur (I guess).

Fladder musse ombord.

Tyckte att det var en konstig liten faagel som foersoekte ta sig in igenom bryggfoenstret. Det visade sig vara en fladder mus. Den lilla stackarn var stressed och gjorde vad han kunde foer att foersoeka komma undan dagsljuset. Han hittade en liten hoerna daer han kunde klaemma sig ner. Vi fixade skugga, vatten och frukt, med foerhoppningen om att han var vegetarian, och inte malaetare(ingen aning). Sovit hela dagen, hoppas att han piggnar till ikvaell near moerkret faller.

Bifogar ett par bilder jag tog ombord paa Maria Gorthon I Juni 2006. Dalhousie NB(Canada).

Den lilla “haarbollen” var en energisk en som lyckats ta sig in I inredningen. Vi fick kaempafoer att foersoeka faa ut honom oskadd. Indien-Musse aer ju naestan naken I jaemfoerelsemed Canada- Musse, det har nog med klimatet att goera skulle jag tro. Saellan maangen minus grad I Indien (Vael?)

Inda-Burt  / Indien Musse

Desperately looking for darkness  / Desperat letandes skugga eller moerker.

Ring as Size referense   Ringen som storleks referens

Canada Burt   / Canada Musse

Rescue boat repair.

One of our rescue boats needed, glass fibre repair of its hull. Transferred to a place for easier access and repair.

Safety meeting today with the presentation of an incident that occurred in this field year 2005. A Multi Support Vessel collided with a rig, and severed a gas riser, which resulted in a huge fire, destruction of the rig, 4 days later the vessel, that also caught fire sank, in total many casualties. Remains of this disaster still visible from our vessel, and work in progress to rebuild it all right now, barges divers etc. We are slowly approaching and we will plant nodes around the area. A tricky one for sure.

Raeddningsbaat reparation.

En av vaara raeddningsbaatar behoevde reparera en glasfiber skada paa skrovet. Fick "flytta" dito till en plats daer man saekrare kunde utfoera arbetet.

Skyddsmoete idag.

med en presentation som intraeffade paa detta faeltet aar 2005. Ett multi support fartyg kolliderade med en rigg och lyckades skada en gas lina vilket resulterade i en vaaldsam brand. Riggen totalfoerstoerdes(tippade och sjoenk) fartyget skadades ocksaa allvarligt av brand, och efter 4 dagar saa sjoenk den. Maanga baade doeda och skadade inte roligt. Resterna av riggen aer nu synliga fraan vaar position, vi boerjar naerma oss Soeder ifraan och skall laegga ut noder runt det hela. Inte helt enkelt, daa de nu haaller paa att bygga upp det hela igen omgiven av Praamar och dykare mm.

 

Life in the ocean.

Working immediately South of the big installation today. We clearly saw that the closer to the installation (rig) we got,  the more “biology”( live species) we could see.  Fish shoals, and today a fat ugly snake, curled around the node..  Puhaa! (hate snakes). They learn that the catering staff on the ”rig” throw food waste into the sea on a regular basis, so it is a good place to be. QC –run was successful today.

Liv i oceanen.

Arbetar omedelbart Soeder om installationen(riggen). Man ser tydligt att det aer mer liv(bilogi haer) fisk stim och idag hade vi en "fet" "ful "orm som ringlade sig runt ramen paa Noden (puuha!! jag hatar ormar). Foerst naer Noden skulle in i "korgen" saa slaepte ormen taget och sam vidare. Allaa smaa liven laer sig att "Byss folket" paa riggen dumpar mat rester i havet paa ganska regelbundna tider, bra tillhaall alltsaa. Vi gjorde ett nytt foersoek med QC baaten idag och det gick vaeldigt bra.

Bad quality monitor pic(ROV) camera. / Daalig kvalitet, foto paa monitorn (ROV) camera

 Fish on top and Snake below.../  Fisk stim oeverst och orm under

DPO handover at the "desk" inside 500mtr / DPO Oeverlaemning av vakten innanfoer 500mtr  

 View from the desk aft. / Vy fraan DPO position akter, naer man har DP vakt.

 View front, Radarpic and window view(flare stack)/ Vy foerut, radarbild och flare stack.

 Same view(a meter aft) / Samma vy (fraan 1 mtr akteroever)

Inside 500 all day

Been working inside 500 of one of the biggest installations on the field.
Takes a while to move around it all. Sent our provision order today. We'll get it out on the supply boat Dec 4th. Went out with the QC-boat today, "quickie" they encountered cooling problem on one engine so they played it safe and came back, they'll have a go tomorrow again.

Arbetat innanfoer 500, paa en av de stoersta installationerna paa faeltet, hela dagen.
Tar raett laang tid att glida runt det hela i 0,2 till 0,4 knop. Skickade bestaellning av proviant idag. Kommer ombord med supply baaten 4:e Dec. Vi planerade en QC-koerning med QC baaten idag, men en av hans motorer fick kylnings problem saa de fick avbryta och komma tillbaka ombord.
Det goer ett andra foersoek imorgon nu naer felet aer aatgaerdat.

Mexicansk Dynamisk Positionerings Officer, Foerste styrman Diaz.

 Mexican DPO, First Officer Diaz.                         /                     Fitters Corner on Monkey Island.

 Repens Hoerna, paa topp bryggan.

Saving birds.

Got a phone call today when I was at the desk(driving), ROV department wondered if I could switch off the engine room air intake fan? A quite big “bird” had accidently got sucked into the grid, and was not able to get loose (the bird was still alive). I called Engine room and asked them to switch of the fan for a moment.  Said and done, the bird got loose, sat on deck for a while and the flapped away… The good deed of the day. The ROV, rough and toughness is only skin deep, they actually are “soft hearted” deep inside.

Raedda faaglar.

Idag naer jag hade stolen(satt och koerde), fick jag ett telefon samtal fraan ROV avdelningen.

De undrade om jag kunde staenga av insugsflaekten till maskin rummet? En stor faagel hade flugit foer naera, sugits in och satt nu fast emot gallret, levde dock fortvarande. Jag ringde maskin och bad om en minuts avstaengning och faageln befriades.

Pippin satt paa deck ett tag, justerade sin kompass kanske, sedan floeg den sin kos. Kanske inte trivdes hos oss?

Det var dagens goda gaerning. De haarda och tuffa gossarna paa ROV avdelningen, har nog ett mjukt hjaerta djupt daer inne naagonstans.

Strange geophysical phenomena?

Excerpt from 1300lt, operational meeting today.
Whilst analysing the recovered data from one of our nodes. Chief Quality Controlling Geophysicists found something that he describes as “sea creature carefully tapping” on the Geophone for 25 minutes, during this time there was also registered a slight “tilt” on the device itself, thus indicating affirming a physical encounter.
On earlier projects, we have on many occasions found octopuses, clinging onto the nodes, so naturally we all thought of this being the culprit. Romantics as we all mariners are, we carefully inquired about the frequency of the tapping, if it was constant, intermittent or accelerating….The reply was “more to the intermittent constant flow of a tap”.

So to all you biologists out there, today we have learnt something about octopuses encounters (we like to think)…  

Ovanligt Geofysiskt Fenomen?

Utdrag fraan det dagliga 1300lt, operationsmoetet idag.

Vaar chefs-geofysiker meddelade, att han under det att han analyserade den inspelade datan fraan en av vaara noder, fann naagot ovanligt, vilket han beskrev som " naagot sjoe vaesen som hade "knackat" foersiktigt paa den "planterade" geofonen(mikrofonen som spelar in ljudvaagor i sedimenten paa havs botten) under c:a 25 minuter. Under hela denna tiden saa registrerades ocksaa en liten "lutning" paa geofonen(den laag alltsaa inte laengre i plan), notera en liten "lutning", under graden, men aendock tillraeckligt foer att verifiera fysisk kontakt med naagot.

Vid tidigare projekt har vi noterat att blaeckfiskar gaerna sprider ut sig, och klaenger sig fast vid noderna. Naturligtvis saa var vi oevertygade om att detta nog var en blaeckfisk. Romantiker som vi alla sjoefolk aer, undrades det lite foersiktigt om frekvensen av knackningarna, och om de var regelbundna, eller kanske rentav oekande? Svaret blev att "det var mera ett floede av oregelbundna knackande".

Saa nu all biologer, saa vet ni hur en naerkontact med en kramsjuk blaeckfisk ter sig...(inbillar vi oss).

QC and sailing doctors

Only two "close approaches" today, will “squeeze” in one more closer to midnight. I have to be on the bridge during our vessel  being inside 500(close approach) to any installation, safety, safety hey and how!

Our QC (Quality Control) boat was out for a run today. Checking how our Nodes are coping on the sea bed.
A unique feature that only our company, so far, is capable of doing (talking to our recording devices while they are deployed). If any problem with any of the hundreds deployed, we just simply put down another one next to it (co locate one) or we make a proper “swop” change the bad one out. Fortunately that rarely happens, as it is some good technology we are using, capable of withstanding the pressure at 3000 meters depth.

Bara tvaa “500 meters” idag. Kanske hinner avsluta den tredje ikvaell innan midnatt. Jag maaste vara paa bryggan near man koer innanfoer installationers 500 meters saekerhets zoner. Detta oavsett om man koer pa 10 eller 400 meters avstaand.

Ute med QC baaten idag. Kvalitets kontrollerar Noderna som ligger paa havsbotten. Vaart foeretagaer de enda paa marknaden som kan utfoera detta, kolla hur de smaa haarddiskarna maar daernere. Skulle vi upptaecka att det aer ngt fel pa en rackare,saa kan vi antingen byta ut den eller bara laegga ned en till bredvid. Detta haender lyckligtvis saellan daa det aer av mycket god kvalitet, det skall jubl.a klara trycket nere paa 3000 meters djup.

Hugin QC, bogserar modemet i fjaerran till vaenster, pratar med vaara gula bebisar paa bottnen.

Hugin QC, Towing the "modem" in the distance, far left, talking with our yellow babies at the bottom.

 

Doctor from our company "gun boat"(source boat) Munin Explorer came over for the day(catched a ride with our QC boat).We do not have a Doctor this trip. A few minor issues to a few crew members, nothing major. Took this photo this summer in North Sea during a gale.

Foto: Nord Sjoen sommaren 2011

Doctorn fraan Munin Explorer, vaar kanon baat(den som skjuter med luft kanoner , vilka ljudvaagor spelas in paa vara Noder paa havsbotten) kom oever under dagen foer att titta till naagra patienter. Vi har ingen laekare denna resan utan faar laana deras om det skulle behoevas.

Safety training, exercize.

Fire in the Engine room, boundary cooling(adjacent structures cooled by assisting squad),  one casualty (for the medical team), and finally we abandon the vessel.

A “classic” training. All crew did well, boat and life raft squads got some launching practice. Smoke divers got to drag the “dummy” through the Engine room, up a ladder and hatch, out on to gun deck aft starboard side, where the medical team was waiting with the stretcher. Finally all hope gone, all crew to the abandon ship stations, done their life jackets, final head count and end of exercise.

Saekerhets traening idag.

Brand i maskin rummet, kylning av agraensande ytor, 2 roekdykargrupper gaar in, en raeddar ett offer(en docka), och slaepar den igenom maskinrummet till den ak utgaangen uppfoer en lejdare och igenom en luck upp till "gun deck" stybords sida. Daer vaentar sjukvaards gruppen och tar offret till samlingsplatsen foer oevergivande av fartyget. Samtliga tar paa flytvaestar, alla raeknas in och daerefter avslutas oevningen. Bra oevning, alla gjorde bra ifraan sig. Baat och livflotte-grupperna oevade upprepade sjoesaettningar, foerberedande infoer bordning av flytetygen.

 Fridays provision provider. comes with joy, love and happiness 

Fredagens proviantering, spred glaedje lycka och kaerlek, liten Jul afton

Renovating an Oilrig

A bit choppy and white caps.

Today all crew safety meeting.

Topics;
Garbage sorting, upcoming annual management review,
and after yesterday’s provisioning, all crew asked to stay vigilant and report any
“creepy crawler’s”, "la cucarachas" etc. immediately, all traps to be inspected regularly.

Two “close approaches” during the day time, on my shift…luxury.

Lite blaasigt idag. Vita gaess.
Skydds moete idag hela besaettningen, kl 1100, foersta gaenget och 1245 andra skiftet.
Pratade sop sortering, Efterlyste aasikter ang, vaara kvalitets system, foer den aarliga revisionen.
Besaetningen ombads inkomma med aasikter.
Skaerpt utkik efter kackerlackor eller andra smaakryp, efter gaardagens proviantering kan det ha smugit sig ombord en del fripassagerare. Faellor inspekteras regelbundet och paatraeffat kryp rapporteras till oeverordnad.

Living quarters barge for hundreds of maintenance workers. 

Bostads praam, foer hundratals underhaallsarbetare.

 From The opposite side on an approach.

Sett fraan andra sidan riggen vid en av inkoerningarna.

 Chopper landing

En helikopterlandning samtidigt som vi glider naermare.

Quite close to the other barge.

Naera den andra praamen

Nice week end ahead.

Nice weekend ahead.

Late last night we finished the complicated “pick up nodes” around the installation with the two barges. Quite challenging to get that sorted. Boosting the confidence and morale of all DPO’s involved.

This morning got long awaited provisions and some stores, so now a “happy ship”. Very smooth operation, supply boat captain was very calm. Could tell by his talk, and the handling of his vessel, that he was an old “Sea dog”.

Waiting to see how we can squeeze in a BBQ in between all close passes(inside 500 no smoking, welding  or open flames) ?

Our latest Challenge. Now "rolling along" with the odd "close pass" a day on "regular" installations.

Denna plattformen har vi jobbat runt de senaste dagarna. Maanga "wires" och ankar kaetting som gaar kors och tvaers under plattform och bygg praamar.  Fick hela tiden smyga sakta in emot dom, och naer vi kom riktigt naera saa fick vi sjoesaetta "ROV'n"(undervattensroboten) som fick koera foere, och kolla saa att vi inte fick in naagot i vaara propellrar.  Hoppas paa en grillfest snart nu naer vi fick ut faerska groensaker och annan mat med en liten baat i morse.

Polluted airways.

A little Indian moth nocking on my window...faaaaaar from shore.

En liten mal, satt paa rutan(utsidan) och stirrade paa mig, kanske ville in i luft konditioneringen? 30 grader utanfoer och bara 22 haerinne paa bryggan.

Fully understand US-demand for restricting the Output effect on VHF radio.

Trying to operate in a safe manner, where communication between the involved units in this oil field Is essential. But we are hearing “traffic” from all over, up and down the coast. The amount of “blabber” on all channels , is enormous,  languages  sounds like everything  from  “bed room, bath room, shower(singing) and a football field”. Chinese, Hindu, Afrikaans, Indie, and then of course the MTV India sing along. Extremely tiresome having to listen to this for a twelve hour shift.  

And another little funny bugger...

Aennu en liten konstig fjaeril.

Polite persuasion from shore...

Two barges, one on each side of a rig, with their anchor chains and wires(1000m length) surrounding them, it looks like a spider web. And underneath it all we have positioned our Nodes… Now time to recover them, and one of the barge captains is reluctant to let us come inside ”his web”. We have to come inside his 500 meter zone, which to most offshore installations are their last defence “Holy ground” that only the specialised and dedicated  offshore vessel with computerized positioning systems are allowed to enter . Not until the client used some connections from the office in the “big city”, a few phone calls later, and  we could request permission again.. then  voilá! I understand the man, he has never before experienced any vessel stating that it wants to come inside and recover recording equipment inside his “500”, using ROV.  

Darkness fell, and we continue to another location, with easier recovery. Said “goodbye” and “see you again tomorrow morning” first day light..…

Ch.Off Kronhamn "Cuddling" our babies, in the Node hangar.

Oever styrman myser med all vaara "bebisar", inspelnings "puckarna" i garaget

Fast Rescue Craft training

Today we had a chance to train our rescue team.
A new crew member from the Engine,  Fitter got a chance to play with the "pleasure craft".
A good hour playing around, running in/out, hook up and release, painter or hook.
Today I also took 4 minutes on the bridge wing, warming my aching neck up in the sun shine.
AC on the bridge is doing its job, so a warm up for the first time this trip felt good.
Office was very quiet today, learnt this evening that it was Formula one in Abu Dhabi, 2 hours from Dubai.

Alla vaara smaa baatar...

Rolling along...

Well, not the vessel itself. We have started what's called the rolling phase of the project. About 800  nodes have been precisely laid out in carpet like pattern. Now after the most northern rows of nodes has got enough data recorded, we go up there and pick up "two rows", after these nodes are drained of their data, we continue with laying them out in the southern end of the carpet pattern. Weather is Superb, work itself is very interesting. This "mature" oil field is as "lively" and alternating as an ISM system. Buoys and rigs are both lit and unlit, popping up and disappearing the following day. Diving operations, constructions, support vessels, AHTs and barges...yeeehaaa!! "No rest for the wicked".

One officer short...

Yesterday, our 2nd Officer passed me in the heli lobby when I arrived, he was boarding the chopper I arrived on. He had to sign off due to personal reasons. This means that I have to be on the bridge "watch" from 0600 to 1800 every day, so much for sun tan this trip. Only way for X-zise being getting up an hour early(0500) and work out on an empty stomach, as effective as shovelling snow in the snow storm "sigh".

Onboard again...

Boarded Hugin (in operation), via chopper this afternoon.
The client did not allow electronics on the flight out, so no photos yet to be uploaded.

Spending a day in Mumbai really gives a more humble approach to our society and way of life in Sweden. With emphasis on the social aspect, poverty and despair. I wonder what my son would think, if he came with me a week seeing the condition, under which many people of the global population is living. I wonder if the LEGO© "Star Wars", "Death Star" still would be highest on the agenda ?

Still on " leave"

Bag is packed, "ready to" go since the 23rd...
But no passport or Visa from the Embassy.. waiting and waiting.
Not much of a leave in stand by mode, mentally on board already, no quality time for neither me, nor my family having to put up with my tantrums. Chief Officer "holding the fort" on the vessel, doing OK he says.
Let's hope for my passport before the weekend so I can start planning my life again.