A Northumberland-based marine engineer has outlined plans for a new submersible that could change the way oil platforms are transported back to shore for decommissioning.
Joe Glass from Rothbury has joined forces with Seaways Engineering International as Managing Director (UK). The Californian company has used his experience of the oil and gas industry and his marine engineering skills.
"The solution is quite simple in operation, we've created our own submersible which we have called Nessie (novel extended semisubmersible)."
Nessie is a box section semisubmersible with six columns and a gate at the aft end rather like a giant floating dry-dock. Once the vessel approaches the structure, it ballasts down, opens the gate and moves over the structure. Using accurate laser positioning to get it into the exact position, the topside unit is lifted clear and secured at the forward end. Nessie then positions itself until the jacket is located amidships, rigging is attached and the jacket is rotated underwater to the horizontal position, where it is secured for transport to shore.
The full size version of Nessie (220 x 120m) is capable of handling the largest North Sea structures, while a smaller version (60 x 60m) is capable of lifting the smaller structures commonly located in the southern North Sea in a single lift.
Glass has estimated that Nessie can be built at less than 10% of the cost of the likes of the Pioneering Spirit and operated at a correspondingly lower day rate. However, the cost of further development is prohibitive and he has been actively canvassing politicians and industry leaders for support and looking to the oil and gas sector for financial funding.
This has led to approval from OGIC (the Oil and Gas Innovation Centre) for 50% funding for Strathclyde University to carry out further research. This will include a desktop study to prove stability of the vessel and analyze the lifting arrangement of the jacket, a detailed animation showing the procedure and the fabrication and tank testing of a 4m long model.
"The cost of further work is expensive and we've exhausted our research and development budget. I need either the government or a leading oil company to look at our plans and the fully working model with a view to putting in sufficient funds to enable a full size prototype to be made. Our financial target is a further £20,000 to make things happen. Ironically, this is literally a drop in the ocean compared to the benefits. The sad thing is I know this will work and I truly believe that it will save companies and the government billions of pounds in the long term.
Glass started his career with Ellerman Lines before going offshore as a Chief Engineer in 1983 on diving support ships. In the early 1980s, while working out of Aberdeen, he met Craig Lang who now owns marine specialist engineers Seaways Engineering based in San Diego California.
Lang designed a multi-purpose semisubmersible (MPSS) which was approved by Shell with several versions already in operation worldwide and on which Nessie is now based.
Video: Nessie in action - animation.