# Russia oil rig capsizes off Sakhalin, dozens missing



## GAP (18 Dec 2011)

Russia oil rig capsizes off Sakhalin, dozens missing
Article Link
 18 December 2011 Last updated at 03:53 ET

At least two people have died and more than 50 are missing after an oil drilling rig sank in freezing seas in the Russian far east.

The Kolskaya rig was being towed some 200km (125 miles) off Sakhalin island when it capsized in a fierce storm.

Fourteen people have been rescued but it is feared the rig overturned before the rest of the 67 people on board could escape on to life rafts.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions.

Helicopters and a plane helped scour the area amid high winds and waves of up to 12ft (4m) but the search was halted as night fell.

Empty life rafts

"According to reports from the scene of the rescue operation, the Kolskaya platform has sunk completely," the regional head of the emergencies ministry, Taimuraz Kasayev, told a news briefing.

The accident in temperatures of -17C at around 14:00 local time (0200 GMT) in the Sea of Okhotsk happened as the rig was being towed from the eastern peninsula of Kamchatka to Sakhalin.
More on link


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## Scott (18 Dec 2011)

I know and have worked with some of the guys who were on the Rowan Gorilla I when she went down under tow, it's lucky that any of them made it but they made a decision to abandon pretty quick and their drills were solid. 

I saw one report talking about the safety gear being "warm water suits"...Nothing more than a fully encapsulated fruit suit is going to hold you for long in those waters, IMO.

4m seas? I've been aboard for a few tows and we would have never gone anywhere in 4 m seas...even on a so-called "harsh environment" jackup. But my experience is limited.

I hope they can find more survivors, I've heard 12 found 4 confirmed dead...


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## GAP (18 Dec 2011)

I'm glad you commented.....I have no experience in regards to these things, as do most. Just reading the basic article shouts "dumbass!!"


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## Scott (18 Dec 2011)

I wouldn't go so far as "dumbass" quite yet...Different rigs have different parameters. If I understand correctly, the photo on the linked article is a little misleading as it shows the rig on a semi submersible transport vessel - when this rig was simply moving locations in field or to a close by field. These rigs are often put on to another vessel for longer trips but due to them being so monstrously top heavy when in transport mode you still need good weather to sail.

I saw a Reuters report that already has Russian safety agencies claiming it was the rig's fault...they must be good over there.

I like jackups much better than semi submersibles and I am not sold on drillships yet save for the luxury accommodations. This won't change that.


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## Scott (18 Dec 2011)

I'll add that tho was brought up in our safety meeting today. Rumour here has it that they were mustered on or near the helideck. It's complete and utter fucking lunacy for me to even consider that, but I don't work over there and they are renowned for doing things "different" - we've heard the stories.

I can't wait to see what spin the greenies put on this incident even though it has SFA to do with drilling or production.


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## Scott (20 Dec 2011)

Latest has 16 dead and 37 still missing. I just hit dry land last night and knocked back a Guinness to celebrate such.

Russian safety agencies still saying it's rig management's fault...they must have had clear forecasts of the storm in order to be saying this. 

I haven't seen any more about them mustering on the helideck and am curious as hell about it as it would be suicide, IMO. Anyway.


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## a_majoor (20 Dec 2011)

Since I don't know the layout of these rigs; are the lifeboats accessable from the helideck? If they were mounted around the edge of the deck it would make sense to muster the crew prior to embarking (or even just getting aboard as a precaution).


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## Scott (20 Dec 2011)

If you take a look at the photo in the link provided you can make out two orange specks on the port (right) side of her. With the helideck mounted in an offset fashion (I have only ever worked on rigs that had them mounted off the bow, so this is different) it is plausible that the starboard boats were "under" the helideck.

If you take a look at this page you'll see the last rig I was on, the GSF Galaxy II. You can see two orange boats under the helideck, one port, one starboard. Different design and all that. But the boats under the helideck would be last resort type boats, the alternates.

So I do take back what I said earlier and I clarify: if they were waiting on a chopper instead of going to boats then THAT is utter lunacy.

I suspect that things went rotten so fast that they didn't stand a chance. I mean, only two rafts deployed?

Then again, I wasn't there. This is just fodder for coffee room talk among the lads and I am away from the rig now and can't be involved in the deconstruction.


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## Scott (20 Dec 2011)

Hmm, I thought rig zone would have pulled this page by now...Anyway, here is the Kolskaya with a view of her helideck and I do not see boats up there.

http://rigzone.com/data/rig_detail.asp?rig_id=521


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## dapaterson (20 Dec 2011)

My understanding (can't find a link now, though) is that a significant number of life rafts were torn off in the storm.


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## Scott (20 Dec 2011)

I'm trying to recall how many rafts would be on a rig of that size if it were working in the UK or Canada - something makes me think 150% of max head count but I could be wrong.

Google-fu tells me that there were two boats with a capacity of 102 each and 10 rafts, 6 @ 25 pers and 4 @ 12 pers. 

Max POB is listed at 102.


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