Oil and Gas

Derrick

A derrick is a structure over an oil well which supports the drilling equipment and allows it to be lifted into and out of the wellbore.

The term derrick originates from Thomas Derrick, an English executioner c. 1608.

In English history, the executioner was not a commonly chosen career path because of the risk of friends and families of the deceased knowing who the executioner was and where to find him. Executioners were sometimes coerced into the role. Derrick in particular had been convicted of rape but was pardoned by the Earl of Essex (clearing him of the death penalty) on the condition that he became an executioner at Tyburn.

Derrick executed more than 3,000 people in his career, including his pardoner, the Earl of Essex, in 1601. Derrick devised a beam with a topping lift and pulleys for his hangings, instead of the old-fashioned rope over the beam method.

The word derrick became an eponym for the frame from which the hangman's noose was supported and through that usage (by analogy) to modern-day cranes.

Flotta Oil Terminal.

Cherry Picker, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden

Hello,

Today id like to share a few images taken at Flotta oil and gas processing terminal.

Heaters, star night, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden

The Flotta Terminal is located on the island of Flotta in the Orkney Islands just north of mainland Scotland. It was commissioned in 1977, with Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited becoming the major shareholder and operator in May 2000. The terminal covers a 395-acre site, approximately one-sixth of the area of Flotta Island. Crude oil is imported to the Flotta Oil Terminal from several offshore installations through a 30” subsea pipeline. The pipeline is fed from the following Repsol Sinopec Operated fields; Claymore, Scapa, Piper ‘B’, Tweedsmuir, Tartan, Highlander, Duart, Petronella, Galley and Nexen’s operated Golden Eagle field.

Flotta,-oil-terminal,-Stromness,-KW16-3NP

The crude oil processing facilities consist of three separate crude stabilisation trains operating in parallel. This allows a design maximum plant flowrate of 375,000 bbl/d to be processed between the three trains.

The stabilised crude is then transferred to the Crude Oil Storage area with the Desalter wash water transferred to the Desalter Water Treatment plant.

Cherry picker, cable, lader racking install, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden

There are currently insufficient volumes of gas supply to sustain the operation of the gas processing plant; as such the gas plant facility was decommissioned in 2017/2018. Gas from the overhead stabilisation process is utilised as fuel gas at the hot oil heaters and powerhouse which generate site electricity using duel fuel turbines. Any excess gas is used at the powerhouse, where there is spare generating capacity to allow additional power export to the national grid.

Electricians, containment, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden
Electrician, rope access, cable pulling, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden
Rope access, climbing, electrician, face, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden
Workers, Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, Oil and gas, terminal, repsol, petrofac, industrial, industry, professional, photography, lee ramsden

Setting sun in the North Sea.

01 Safe Boreas, Prosafe, accommodation vessel, north sea, oil and gas, flotel, flotation, living, hotel, industrial, photographer, Lee Ramsden.jpg

Hello,

Today i would like to share some images of the setting sun in the North sea.

I have been lucky in my time offshore to see some amazing weather.

A spectacular sun rise, or setting sun in the middle of the sea is something really magical.

02 Safe Boreas, Prosafe, accommodation vessel, north sea, oil and gas, flotel, flotation, living, hotel, industrial, photographer, Lee Ramsden.jpg
03 Safe Boreas, Prosafe, accommodation vessel, north sea, oil and gas, flotel, flotation, living, hotel, industrial, photographer, Lee Ramsden.jpg

I hope that you have a good weekend.

Lee

Accommodation vessel.

01 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, vessel, navy, merchant, hotel, living quarters, sunset, north sea, extremee weather, lee ramsden, professional photography.jpg

Hello,

Hope that you are well.

Today id like to share 3 more images of the Safe Boreas Flotel in the North Sea.

02 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, vessel, navy, merchant, hotel, living quarters, sunset, north sea, extremee weather, lee ramsden, professional photography.jpg
03 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, vessel, navy, merchant, hotel, living quarters, sunset, north sea, extremee weather, lee ramsden, professional photography.jpg

I asked the question to see if anyone could work out what camera these recent offshore oil and gas images were taken with..

All recent offshore images were taken with my iPhoneX.

The advancements of these cameras is phenomenal.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter and would love to see what images you have achieved with your phones.

Lee

Platform construction

01 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg
04 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg

Hello,

How are you? Have you had a good week?

Today id like to share some images of a North Sea oil and gas platform module.

This module was constructed in Aberdeen but a consortium of companies.

These images were taken are on the day that construction was completed and they were being shipped out to the platform.

03 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg

Leaving the yard to head to vessel.

05 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg
06 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg

Two more parts of the puzzle.

08 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg
07 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg

From wagon to shipping vessel.

09 oil and gas; construction; module; build; Aberdeen; Scotland; Worley Parsons, Petrofac, Amec, foster wheeler, building, shipping,tansport.jpg

I hope that you found these interesting,

I was lucky to have followed the construction from design all the way through to execution.

Lee

Oil Rig.

01 Mariner A oil and gas platform; Stat oil; Equinor; north sea; oil rig; Lee Ramsden; professional; photographer.jpg
02 Mariner A oil and gas platform; Stat oil; Equinor; north sea; oil rig; Lee Ramsden; professional; photographer.jpg
03 Mariner A oil and gas platform; Stat oil; Equinor; north sea; oil rig; Lee Ramsden; professional; photographer.jpg
04 Mariner A oil and gas platform; Stat oil; Equinor; north sea; oil rig; Lee Ramsden; professional; photographer.jpg

Hello,

How are you?

Today id like to share 4 images of an North sea oil and gas platform.

There have been a few images on this blog now and more to come.

I would like to know what your thoughts are on the camera used to take these images?

Ill reveal in the next rig post.

Have a good weekend.

Lee

Accommodation at sea

01 Mariner; oil and gas; oil rig; north sea; scotland; Equinor; Prosafe; Safe Boreas, Lee Ramsden.jpg
02 Mariner; oil and gas; oil rig; north sea; scotland; Equinor; Prosafe; Safe Boreas, Lee Ramsden.jpg

Hello,

Id like to share a couple of images of the accommodation vessel the Safe Boreas attached to the side of the Mariner A platform.

Again as previously talked about, all about the timing. There is around 2 hours difference between these two images.

Have a good weekend.

Lee

The Mariner A oil and gas platform

03 Marienr A; Statoil; Equinor; oil and gas platform; north sea; Lee Ramsden; oil rig; platform; asset; Norwegian; sign; helideck.jpg
01 Marienr A; Statoil; Equinor; oil and gas platform; north sea; Lee Ramsden; oil rig; platform; asset; Norwegian; sign; helideck.jpg

Hello,

Today i thought that i would talk about the oil / gas rig that you will have seen images of. I was involved with the construction of this beast. At any one time there was 850 people offshore.

As oil rigs go, this is a one of kind.

The Mariner oilfield is located in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) east of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, in block 9/11a. It was discovered in 1981 at a depth of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) below sea level. Water depth in the area is about 100 metres (330 ft). Estimated recovery is at least 250 million barrels (40×106 m3) of oil. 

As of December 2012 the operator, Statoil (now Equinor), made the investment decision and final approval of the field development plan by the UK authorities is in progress. The plan envisages a production, drilling and quarters platform based on a conventional steel jacket, exporting oil via a floating storage unit.

The oil is heavy and viscous, with API gravities of 12.1°–14.6° and viscosities ranging from 67cp in the field's Maureen reservoir to 508cp in the Heimdal reservoir. The small volume of associated gas will be used as fuel for the platform, and more fuel gas will be imported via a connection to the nearby Vesterled pipeline.

02 Marienr A; Statoil; Equinor; oil and gas platform; north sea; Lee Ramsden; oil rig; platform; asset; Norwegian; sign; helideck.jpg
04 Marienr A; Statoil; Equinor; oil and gas platform; north sea; Lee Ramsden; oil rig; platform; asset; Norwegian; sign; helideck.jpg

In summary

It took over 35 years to work out how to extract this super heavy thick oil. The diluting solution that mixes with the oil, thins it out, and we end up with an even better product. As this platform isn’t on a pipe line, she is connected a large vessel, known as an FSU (floating storage unit) This FSU pumps the diluting solution to the platform, and the platform then pumps back the recovered oil. A large tanker comes into the field every few days to collect the produced oil.

Amazing isn’t it.

Have a good week.


Lee


Prosafe - Safe Boreas

01 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg
02 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg
03 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg

Hello,

I want to share some images taken of an accommodation vessel..

The Safe Boreas is the most advanced and efficient harsh environment accommodation vessel in the world, constructed to comply with Norwegian regulations.

The vessel has the capacity to accommodate 450 persons in single man cabins.

The layout of the unit is unique, with two large internal atriums allowing natural daylight into cabins, mess room and recreational areas.

The vessel is named after Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind and the bringer of cold winter air.

The name reflects that the vessel is designed for operating in the Norwegian and UK North Sea, a geographical area renown for its cold climate and harsh winters.

04 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg
05 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg
06 Prosafe, Safe Boreas, accommodation, bardge, flotel, Lee Ramsden, Oil and gas, platform, North Sea, uk, Scotland.jpg

The key is to wait...

Weather; Mariner; oil and gas platform; north sea; oil rig; lee ramsden; Aberdeen.jpg
Tutorial, Setting sun, Mariner oil and gas platform, north sea, rough weather.jpg

Hello how are you?

Have you had a good festive period.

Thats it all over and back to normal for me now.

Q. What is the difference with the above images?

A. About half an hour..

It is amazing how waiting can have such a difference to your images.

In half an hour the sky semi cleared, even look at the sea, waves calmed down and the setting sun caught the clouds nicely.

So please take your time, slow down, bag the image and then wait till the suns gone as you never know how mother nature will react…

Have a great weekend.

Lee

Need access? Use ropes.

Mariner, oil and gas platform, north sea, IRATA; Rope acess; climbing; industrial; workers; construcion; abseiling; climber; Lee Ramsden.jpg
Irish Sea Pioneer; IRATA; Rope acess; climbing; industrial; workers; construcion; abseiling; climber; Lee Ramsden.jpg

Hello,

Hope that you are you well.

Today i thought i would show a couple of images of different rope access teams.

The above image, is a technician abseiling down from working at the top of a leg on a jack up oil and gas platform.

These images may look like fun, but an 80m vertical ladder is not. Ha!

Take care and have a good week.

Lee

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to keep up to date.

North Sea, Supply Vessels

01 Humans at sea; Solstad; offshore; oil and gas; marchant navy, Lee Ramsden.jpg
02 Humans at sea; Solstad; offshore; oil and gas; marchant navy, Lee Ramsden.jpg

Good morning,

Today i want to show a vessel, this is one of many many vessels, that feed us, that bring us supplies and from the skippers and crews devotion and hard work keep the oil and gas industry working.

This is the Sea Falcon, operated by Solstad Offshore.

She was created in 2013, Length of 88.9m, Width 19.7m and a total 8732 bhp.

To keep up to date please subscribe.

Have a good week

Lee

Oil and Gas platform.

02 Mariner, oil and gas, platform,  oil rig, equinor,  northsea.jpg
01 Marine, oil and gas, platform,  oil rig, equinor,  northsea.jpg
03 Mariner A, oil and gas, platform,  oil rig, equinor,  northsea.jpg

Hello,

Today i would like to share three images, all taken within a few minutes on one another,

I thought it gives a good visual on the setting sun and blue hour.

Sometimes there isn’t a spectacular sun set.

With these industrial beauties, blue hour is my favourite as the contrast against the warm flood lights look amazing.

I hope that you have a good weekend,

Be sure to subscribe to keep up to date.

Lee

Oil and Gas platform.

01 Marine, oil and gas, platform,  oil rig, equinor,  northsea.jpg
02 Marine, oil and gas, platform,  oil rig, equinor,  northsea.jpg

Hello and welcome

Today i’d like to show these two images of the Mariner A, Uk North sea oil and gas platform.

hope that you have had a great weekend.

and if you have not yet subscribed to my newsletter then please do below.

Lee

Radio silence... Do you copy.... Over.....

radio, ISP, irish sea pioneet, liverpool, dry dock, construction, workers, working at height, rope access, IRATA, abseiling.jpg

Hello,

Radio silence is over, nearly 18 months of not posting, i have an interesting catalogue that i would like to share and update this site with on a fortnightly basis.

Be sure to subscribe to my news letter for future updates.

Newsletters are on a monthly basis, in your inbox on 1st of each month.

No spam just nice images and information about the sites i have been shooting.

The above image is myself as rescue man on an 80 meter high jack up oil rig leg, whilst in dry dock having repairs.

Keep in touch.

Lee

Module removal.

BP, Miller, oil and gas, industry decommissioning, Module removal

Hello, 

Today marks the final post in this series. 

It finishes with the big finale - the heavy lift of the accommodation module. 

Stuart Nuttall, project manager, watching

Project manager looks on with anticipation. 

Saipem s7000, M1, crane lifting, offshore, northsea, floating, heavy lift vessel

Nearly 3000 tonnes being lifted, which is effortless for the Saipem S7000. 

Saipem s7000, M1, crane lifting, offshore, northsea, floating, heavy lift vessel

With additional tugger lines fitter, the huge load can be rotated on its axis and and with great prescission laid onto the deck of the S7000. 

 

I hope that this series of blog posts over the last few months, have been of interest.

I have been working in the oil and gas industry for nearly 15 years and this has certainly been the most interesting project I have been involved in. 

The decommissioning of North Sea oil and gas platforms are unfortunately something that we are going to see much more, as the price of oil falls, and the platforms are becoming a less viable option to maintain and keep running. 

 

Thanks

 

Lee

Derrick removal.

Derrick, rigging, lifting, slings installed ready for lift IRATA, rope access, riggers

Hello, 

Today id like to show, the first couple of lifts. 

Above image the rope access riggers, install the cranes lifting equipment. 

derrick lifted off platform, north sea, oil and gas rig
Derrick, remove, lifted with the Saipem 7000, crane, offshore in the north sea
derrick, removal, heavy lift, Saipem, Petrofac, BP, S7000
derrick, sea fastening, welding, on the deck of the S7000

Once landed the derrick is then sea fastened (welded) to the deck of the S7000.

helideck-removal.jpg

The next lift to be completed was the helideck. 

It was amazing to see these huge bits of an oil rig, look almost insignificant against the huge Saipem S7000 cranes. 

 

Thanks

Saipem S7000

S7000, duel crane, heavy lifting, offshore, oil and gas

The Saipem S7000 arrives. 

With its state-of-the-art J-lay tower, upgraded dynamic positioning capability and fast ballasting system, the Saipem 7000 semisubmersible crane vessel has the capacity to handle the entire workscope of offshore construction developments worldwide, encompassing pipelaying in water depths greater than 2,000 metres and heavy lift operations up to 14,000 tonnes.

 

The vessel’s Class 3 DP system of 12 thrusters ensures that the vessel maintains good station keeping in the most difficult of weather conditions. Additionally, because the Saipem 7000 has accommodation facilities up to 725 people, the vessel can assist hook-up and commissioning as well as initial platform life support activities.

Altogether, this high specification means that the Saipem 7000 can be counted on to provide the highest level of reliability for conventional, deep and ultradeep water development projects.

Saipem, 7000, industrial, oil and gas, crane

VESSEL FEATURES

Length overall 197.95 m

Upper platform 175 m x 87 m x 8.5 m

Lower pontoons 165 m x 33 m x 11.25/15.25 m

Depth to main deck 43.5 m

Free deck area 9,000 sq.m

Deck load 15,000 tonnes

Operating draft 27.5 m

Survival draft 18.5 m

Transit draft 10.5 m

Transit speed 9.5 knots

Saipem, S7000, heavy lifting, vessel
blog, Saipem S7000, heavy lifting vessel, Norway, Stavanger
blog, Saipem s7000, taking image on iphone

The last flight to the BP Miller.

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi, 17

Today I want to show you the last ever flight to the BP Miller oil and gas platform. 

Also give you an insight in what happens during a routine Helicopter crew change. 

helideck, crew, HLO, offshore, oil and gas platform

The H.L.O gives permission for a flight to land on the deck. 

Sikorsky S92, landed on North Sea oil and gas, installation. 
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 04
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 04

Offshore worker, happy to be returning to work. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 

Arriving offshore workers in their survival suits picking up their luggage and leave the helideck. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi

Bristows Helicopter pilot. 

Helicopter refuelling operations, North Sea oil and gas industry. 

Helideck team get ready the refuelling hose. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 10
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 12
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 10

A Bristows, Sikorsky S92 Helicopter being refuelled on the oil and gas platform. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 13
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 14

Departing offshore worker. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 15

Button her up, time to leave. 

Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 16
Sikorsky, S92, helicopter, aviation, flight, oil and gas industry, offshore, north sea, Aberdeen, taxi 

As this was the last flight, the pilot was happy to conduct a fly by :)