MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands: Drilling preparations step up a gear onshore

Ocean Guardian oil rig left Las Palmas on her way to the Falklands

AS the semi-submersible drilling rig Ocean Guardian, contracted by Desire Petroleum from Diamond Drilling, continues to make its way south, a number of oil operators are scheduled to visit the Falklands to meet with government officials this month.

Desire Petroleum’s Chairman Stephen Phipps, Chief Executive Officer Dr Ian Duncan and Finance Director Eddie Wisniewski are due to arrive next week for a round of meetings with government officials and others. They will be accompanied by Ben Romney from Buchanan (Desire’s PR consultancy) and Robert Watts, a journalist from the oil industry magazine Upstream.

Three representatives from Rockhopper Exploration are also scheduled to arrive next weekend.

The Ocean Guardian, under tow by the Maersk Traveller, is still on schedule to arrive in early February; Desire’s Falklands representative Lewis Clifton confirmed this week.

A second Maersk anchor handling tug supply vessel is due to arrive late this month, and the third rig support ship, a platform supply vessel, will complete the offshore drilling support package, he said.

The pace dockside is about to pick up with the first of two cargo ships, Thor Leader, carrying oil equipment from UK, arriving next week. The second cargo ship, Honest Rays, arrives on January 15. Mr Clifton said discharge operations would be undertaken 24 hours a day until the 14,000 tons of equipment onboard were sorted and stored, pending the arrival of the Ocean Guardian.

Onshore specialised support personnel will begin arriving in Stanley during the next few days. Mr Clifton said up to 12 personnel would be based in Stanley for the duration of the drilling programme.

As with oil rig workers, these personnel will rotate 28 days on and 28 days off.

The shore support personnel will be largely based out of the integrated pipe yard and laydown facility being constructed at Coastel Road by Byron McKay Port Services, of which Mr Clifton is a director. The facility will include modularised office and warehouse accommodation, and the silo plants (muds and cement bulk storage), although other private sector facilities will also be utilised.

Mr Clifton said Byron McKay Port Services had secured an on-shore services support contract, and were working with AGR Petroleum Services - the oil operator’s contractor - to provide the ship-shore-ship logistics support interface.

A number of local appointments have been made to support the contract terms. These include an aviation coordinator and a number of operatives, slings men, labourers and stevedores. A two week training programme for operatives was undertaken during early December under training guidance brought in from Aberdeen, said Mr Clifton, adding that security personnel would also be appointed for the duration of the drilling programme.

Helicopter support operations are to be provided by British International with an airframe due to arrive on the Ministry of Defence freighter next week. Mr Clifton said work was also progressing towards bringing back on line the helicopter refuelling facility at Cape Dolphin on East Falkland, which was set up during the last drilling round in 1998. However, unlike in 1998 when the Borgny Dolphin oil rig was visible off Cape Pembroke, the Ocean Guardian is unlikely to come into sight on arrival, said Mr Clifton.

Source: Penguin News