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LeeB's offshore photos

Started by LeeB, March 24, 2007, 06:31:12 PM

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LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

LeeB

Cool!! It worked. First pic after been on here I don't know how many years now. The grey thing is a type of drilling rig called a "Jack Up". The red thing sticking out of the water is a production platform. We come in with the rig and drill the wells for the platform and when finished with the drilling we leave. As the wells are drilled they are brought on line by production and continue to produce after we leave till the resevoir is depleted. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Mr Mom

     Very cool.
     Do you take the drilling rig when you leave??
     How stays withg the production platform??
     How many wells do you drill before you leave??
     Enough Question for now.


     Thanks Alot Mr Mom.

LeeB

The rig is portable, the platform is fixed. We leave when we are finished drilling. We are a contractor that drills the wells and along with other service providers make them producable for the operator. The operator has production personnel that take care of that end of it, not our area of buisiness, we just make the wells. The number of wells can range from just one to 20 or more depending on the size of the field. Wells may produce for many years or only months, also dependant on resevoir size and how greedy the operator gets. Not all oil or gas in place is produced. At some point it is just not economicaly viable to keep producing deminishing volumes and some of it is just not accesable. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

tdelorme

Looks like Woodmizer is really branching out. :D :D

semologger

wow do ya get to fish on  breaks?????? :)

TexasTimbers

I would get fired because I would always be slipping off the rig with my speargun shooting the evening meal. Hmmmm - on the other hand maybe they would create a new billet for me ;)

Nice pics. Many of us who are from the gulf states, as youth, often considered working on the rigs and of course many did. I have dove a rig on the Flower Gardens trip out of Freeport, but the Gardens themselves and Stetsons Reef got nixed for high seas which happens often on that trip.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Tom

Aren't the currents around those rigs pretty stiff?

TexasTimbers

They can be. The two major deciding factors are location and season. Of course sudden currents can come out of nowhere just like rogue waves but it is rare. Rig diving has a cult following because it is often like shooting fish in a barrel.
It can be even more dangerous than recreational diving too because not only are you already in life support equipment, but you have the thrill of the hunt and the kill. Tunnel vision kills more spearfishers than sharks or currents, because you let yourself go too deep, get narc'd, drown, and die. In that order.
Or, you descend and ascend too quickly during the reel and chase that you embolise, drown, and die. In that order.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

LeeB

No fishing allowed any more. Hooks are sharp and thats a safety hazzard so.....
I used to fish a lot and have caught some real whoppers. I once fed all the employees in the hospital where my wife used to work, about 300 people all together. Fried fish w/ 2 cookers for about 5 hours and still took half of my stash back home. I sure miss those days. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

metalspinner

Some of my earliest memories from childhood was fishing offshore near the oil wells.  We used to catch a boatfull of speckled trout and red drum.  I remember once we slept out there.  Or maybe I just went to take a nap. :-\  I'll have to ask Dad. Anyway's lot's of fun for sure. 8)
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Ianab

I used to do some computer work on the offshore platforms here, mostly day trips, but got caught out there a couple of times by bad weather. The choppers could handle the wind OK, but one of the 'platforms' was a floating tanker, and that would start rolling too much for the chopper to land.

Was allways good to just have a look around and see the wildlife, there were allways fur seals around the rigs. Dont know how they found the place, it's 30 miles offshore, but they were allways resting on the supports and floating pipes. Saw lots of albatross and other seabirds, especially if there was a bit of wind and the albatross could wave soar, just running up and down the swells without moving their wings. Lots of fish around the rigs too, and even saw a whale on one trip. It just came up beside the rig, had a look at us and dived again.

I've got some pics at home that I can post later.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

LeeB

The marine life is always interesting. Never saw a whale, but I ve seen a few whale sharks. I,ve seen many hundreds of beautiful sunrises and sunsets and have gotten stuck on the rig for three hurricanes. I saw 6 waterspouts in a line once and had one pass across the rig a couple times. I,ve seen more lightning strikes than i ever want to remember. Work goes on around here 24/7, rain or shine, 12 hour shifts. Life can be interesting out here sometimes but I would always rather be home. If I could just convince them to send me a check and let me stay home it would be great. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

ScottAR

Great pics....

Is that a Letourneau drill rig?  They make one that looks like it... 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

LeeB

You been offshore before ain't you Scott? Yep, its a 116 C.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Ianab

Some pics from the local rigs.

This is the Maui B rig and the Floating Production Station (FPSO) with a tanker offloading. Weather was pretty normal that day  :D


From the FPSO looking back to the coast. The platform had a drilling rig mounted on it at this point as new wells were being drilled.


This is the 'B' platform without the drill rig.


And this is older and larger Maui A platform.


The FPSO has since been sold and towed away, but the other platforms are still producing natural gas.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

LeeB

Was that a 1000 or a 1500 HP rig on B platform? I worked many a year on platform rigs and don't miss them none at all. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

ScottAR

Never...  I stay on the land where I'm supposed to be...  :D

I read about the rigs in a story of R.G. Letourneau.  Found it on Amazon.
Good read...  Guy was larger than life...

They build those rigs in Vicksberg (sp??) Mississippi. 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

LeeB

This is what a hurricane can do to a rig. It took a direct hit from Rita. It was found 70 miles from where we left it when we evacuated. It was next to a platform simular to the on in my first post. It took out the platform on the way past. 100's of $MM worth of damage to rig and
platform.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Mr Mom

     LeeB...What do you do on the rig?? If you can tell.
     This is a very good post. Aways wanted to go and walk around the rig for a day.


     Thanks Alot Mr Mom

LeeB

Sure I can tell. Mostly I try not to do any more than need be :D :D. My job is a supervisory position called a tool pusher. We have 2 pushers, one days and one nights. I work nights. I keep the guys organized and make sure they are doing what we get paid for and see to it they are doing it safely. Most of the time I feel like a baby sitter. Working me are the drillers nad thier crews. They are the ones who work the machinery that drills the wells. Also under me are the crane operators anddeck crew. They take care of a lot of the house keeping and keep the drill floor supplied with material, offload and back load supply boats and such. There is a maint. dept. and although they don't work directly under me I still got a say as to what and when. aside from the regular rig crews there are various service companies that supply support equipment and know how for special parts of the operation such as directional drilling tools and electronic dta logging of the well. At any given time there are around 100 people on the rig, split into 2 - 12 hour shifts. A few more on days than nights, although the work load doesn't decrease at night >:(.
I'm glad you guys find this interresting. After 28 years of it I've started to decide I really don't care for it much. The money keeps me coming back though. Maybe I can make it 15 more years and then retire. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

TexasTimbers

Shucks Lee. You gotta work 43 years before you can retire? I think you be better off quit chasing the money and get home to the honey for good! ;)

I don't have any rig experiences but when I was a flyboy in the USCG we were always having to go save a leaky old rat trap of a crew boat they ran to and fro the rigs and the mainland. My fondest memory of one such SAR happened one late night when we had to scramble to drop a pump to which was DITW (dead in the water) halfway between NOLA and the rig which was 90 or so miles out.

We found the boat, rigged the pump, opened the hatch (this was my favorite part of my job vectoring the pilot to within visual) and dropped our illustrious lifesaving high volume self-contained pump. The chute did not deploy. We nailed the bridge dead nuts on. Somehow we didn't take out the UHF and the cajun Cap'n was filling my ear with lessons on Advanced Cursing 101. I can't blame him. The pump package is in a big orange plastic container about 2' x 2' x 3' (circa 1983) and weighed I believe 65ish pounds, traveling at roughly 145 knots it impacted his bridge and raked a large chink of it overboard. Had it hit him it would have been instant cajun gumbo served up for the crew right then and there.

Can you imagine being in charge of a sinking vessel with like 20 POB in rough weather at night, and your brifge suddenly explodes and you soon realize the glorious US Coast Guard is bombing you ??? :D I can laugh now but we were worried sick to our stomachs, literally, until they got rescued. We thought we might have killed someone because he kept jabbering about "....killed someone..." We later learned he was saying we COULD have killed someone. No kidding.

We had assured him it was extremely rare for a chute not to deploy on a pump drop, and that we could rig another and have it dropped in a few minutes. He declined. Loudly. The boat sank while we were still loitering on station and a 95 footer arrived within the hour (maybe two hours been a long time) and scooped up a cold, wet, tired, MAD crew.
Of course w e could not see any of this. We gathered what little we could understand through his yelling and cursing, and it wasn't until the Captain of the 95 footer told us everyone made it aboard that we cracked open our box lunches and breathed a sigh of relief.

Glad it wasn't winter.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

LeeB

It really ain't so bad as I make it out to be. i only work half the year and have time to do the things I like. I'm sure I could retire sooner if I really get fed up. Most nights I don't really have much work to do, just keep track of the guy's and a morning report. I don't have to do any physical work if I don't want to. Besides, I been sucking that paycheck teat so long I've kinda gotten hooked to the security of it. Not big enough of a gambler to try it on my own. Me and the sweety get along real well when I'm gone half tyhe time. She probably wooda run me off long ago otherwise :D. I miss out on a few things now and then, but get large blocks of time with the family, not just dinner and shower then to bed after working all day. It's got its plusses and minuses. All in all it ain't been a bad career.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

highpockets

LeeB,

A fellow told me the other day that thye are now requiring a passport to go into the gulf.  My first days were with the now defunct Penrod Drilling Co. but that was in 1965.  I left the gulf in 1969 and was gone other places for 27 years. I went back out there as a directional driller for a few years. Man things had changed.   

Louisiana Country boy
homemade mill, 20 h.p. Honda & 4 h.p. for hydraulics.  8 hydraulic circuits, loads, clamps, rotates, etc.

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