National Ocean Industries Associations Annual Meeting

Sea Technology, May 2003 by Michels, Thomas J

In March, nearly 200 members of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) joined policy-makers and dignitaries including Newt Gingrich, George Will, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Samuel Bodman and Minerals Management Service (MMS) Director Johnnie Burton at NOIA's 2003 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Drawn by top-flight speakers, working committee meetings and NOIA's annual Producers Forum, members converged on the Ritz Carlton to hear the latest legislative and regulatory developments, discuss industry affairs and socialize.

Established in 1972 to advocate for reliable access to hydrocarbon resources off the coasts of the United States, NOIA has grown to represent more than 300 member companies involved in all aspects of offshore oil and natural gas development, from drilling and producing companies to divers, marine construction and geo-physical companies.

NOIA's Annual Meeting in Washington typically emphasizes member interaction with key political decision makers, and this year's meeting was no exception. Members heard from freshman Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and spoke at length with Burton. Bodman used the occasion to announce that the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would, in an effort to advance its productive dialogue with industry, be sending a liaison to work in the NOIA office for the next several months.

But for many, the meeting's high-light was the announcement of this year's winner of the NOIA Safety in Seas Award. Established in 1978 by Compass Publications (publishers of Sea Technology magazine), the NOIA Safety in Seas Award acknowledges the significant contributions made by modern-day pioneers in their pursuit of the ocean frontier. The award recognizes excellence among those who, by their actions, design or influence, have contributed to improving the safety of life offshore. Now in its 26th year, the award continues to serve as a testimony to the high standards associated with the rapid growth of the ocean industries.

This year's winning nomination showcased a joint effort by ChevronTexaco and Oceaneering International. The two companies embarked on a challenging project to modify the hull of an enormous floating oil and natural gas production plat-form, on location in the Gulf of Mexico, in water depths exceeding 2,600 feet.

Citing their outstanding contribution to the improvement of safe operating procedures in the offshore industries, a blue-ribbon panel comprised of representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Academy of Science's Marine Board and the MMS awarded ChevronTexaco's Deepwater Business Unit and Oceaneering International the 2003 NOIA Safety in Seas Award for the companies' dedication and innovative approach to safety on the Genesis Riser Guide Modification Project.

Located in the Green Canyon region of the Gulf of Mexico (Block 205), the ChevronTexaco-operated, $750 million Genesis Project has produced oil and natural gas from beneath the seabed for more than three years. ExxonMobil and BHP Billiton (Deepwater) are co-owners of the Genesis field and platform.

A floating spar-type platform, the Genesis platform rests on a massive cylindrical hull-122 feet across and 705 feet high-which acts as a giant buoy supporting the drilling and production platform. Only the second floating spar in the Gulf of Mexico at the time of its construction, the Genesis structure was the first to accommodate both drilling and production facilities.

The Genesis platform's hull required modification in order to reduce structural fatigue and stress induced by movement of the vessel's riser support system. Extending down 2,600 feet from the platform to the seabed, the risers are large diameter pipes that extend the wells from the seafloor to the surface platform. Subject to intense pressures and currents that vary at different depths, the torques and weights endured by risers and their support systems are intense.

The aim of the project was to modify the platform's riser guides within the moon pool in order to better control the riser's reaction to these stresses, thereby improving the reliability of the riser system and mitigating the risk of more costly repairs later in the life of the facility.

The modification project marked the first use of saturation diving with-in a moon pool of a floating facility and the first use of friction stud welding on a floating offshore facility in the Gulf of Mexico. ChevronTexaco turned to Oceaneering International to carry out the project, which involved sustained diver immersion at depths ranging from 360 feet to 45 feet below surface.

Running 24 hours a day for 422 days, 49 divers undertook more than 2,500 surface-oriented dives and logged 4,300 hours of bottom-time, for a combined total of 265,946 man-hours-all without a single loss-time accident. The ChevronTexaco and Oceaneering team worked together fluidly and carefully to remove approximately 474,142 pounds of steel, replacing it with a system of 345 bumpers and fenders weighing 1,150,400 pounds.