Offshore staff
FORT WILLIAM, UK – The Underwater Centre has won a $1.3-million contract to train Russian saturation divers. This was awarded by MRTS, one of Russia’s largest fuel and energy sector construction contractors.
The divers spent nine weeks at The Underwater Centre’s Beauty Point facility in Tasmania, where they undertook a variety of courses, all taught in Russian.
MRTS commissioned the training to allow the divers to reach a level of safety and competency expected from international diving operations, in readiness of expanding oil and gas exploration and project operations offshore Russia.
The men, who were all ready experienced air divers, were trained on saturation procedures and techniques and will receive the ADAS Closed Bell certification on completion of their program.
They also completed an air course (Recognition of Prior Learning Experienced Candidate Assessment Course) prior to the saturation diver training to allow them to complete the ADAS surface supplied diving examinations and gain the internationally recognized ADAS certification.
Saturation divers live in a chamber for up to 28 days, pressurized to the same pressure of the sea at the depth that they will be working at. Living and working at pressure means they can be transported quickly and efficiently to the underwater work site without the need for decompression stops, allowing them to work to much greater depths and for much longer periods.
6/25/2012
