Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Tymor Marine has completed a remotely-conducted deadweight audit of a semisubmersible drilling rig offshore Norway for an unnamed drilling contractor.
Performing the audit remotely enabled the rig to comply with its statutory obligations on schedule and return to service without delay, the company said, allowing the client to fulfil its obligations during COVID-19 restrictions and avoid unplanned downtime.
According to Tymor, deadweight surveys on drilling vessels are mandatory every five years or after major changes, with a team of auditors normally performing onboard inspections.
The purpose of the surveys is to determine the weight and distribution of a vessel’s variable load, including the crew, temporary equipment, cargo, fuel, and water. This in turn allows the lightweight (net structural and fixed weight of the vessel) to be assessed through comparing the deadweight calculation with the draught measurement (water displacement).
Any change in the lightweight signals a change in the structure of the vessel, which must be approved by the vessel’s own Flag State maritime authority. Tymor, working with the client and maritime authority, developed remote procedures which were approved ahead of the survey (these standards will now be recognized for similar audits in future, the company added).
Preparatory survey work started while the rig was still operational offshore, continuing during its transit to a Norwegian shipyard for scheduled activity. The rig crew, under Tymor’s guidance, provided required data, photographic and video evidence, all shared between the partners along with analysis results and quality checks.
The maritime authority representatives attended virtual meetings and other stages of the survey remotely through a video link. When the rig was ready to leave the shipyard, final draught measurements were recorded and witnessed by the rig managers, Tymor, and the maritime authority.
Kevin Moran, Tymor’s managing director, said: “We also built a digital record of information along the way that can itself be audited or referred to in future work.”
08/28/2020
