WATCHING THE WORLD ABERDEEN PLANS 'AIRLINE' SERVICE TO PLATFORMS

With David Knott from London The U.K. offshore sector is one of the busiest in the world. Calum MacLean, managing director of Aberdeen Logistics Ltd. (ABEL), estimates more than 26,000 persons are employed in 50 or more U.K. North Sea fields. As many as 3,000 offshore personnel movements are made each day, said MacLean, yet many of the helicopters that buzz between Aberdeen's Dyce airport and the platforms, drilling rigs, and construction vessels have empty seats. The reason is that 28

Aug. 2, 1993

3 min read

The U.K. offshore sector is one of the busiest in the world.

Calum MacLean, managing director of Aberdeen Logistics Ltd. (ABEL), estimates more than 26,000 persons are employed in 50 or more U.K. North Sea fields.

As many as 3,000 offshore personnel movements are made each day, said MacLean, yet many of the helicopters that buzz between Aberdeen's Dyce airport and the platforms, drilling rigs, and construction vessels have empty seats.

The reason is that 28 operators and contractors currently charter helicopters only for their own use from Dyce's four heliports.

Now a group of operators has formed the Chelsea Group to study ways of pooling resources to cut waste in personnel transport. Chelsea stands for Combined Helicopter Service Arrangements.

STUDY GROUP

So far the Chelsea Group has nine members: BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd., Texaco Ltd., Amerada Hess Ltd., Chevron U.K. Ltd., Elf U.K. plc, Mobil North Sea Ltd., Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd., Amoco (U.K.) Ltd., and Kerr-McGee Oil (U.K.) plc. Others, including Shell U.K. Exploration & Production, are in discussions about joining the group.

Chelsea group is working closely with ABEL, a new venture company with ambitions to turn North Sea oil field personnel logistics on its head. ABEL has lodged plans with the Aberdeen District Council to build a 15 million ($23 million) helicopter flight terminal on a 10 acre site at Dyce airport. The terminal is to be in operation by summer 1995.

If built, the terminal will have 300 rooms for crews staving overnight before early flights out to oil fields and facilities for medical checks, safety, and induction training, check-in, safety equipment issue, departure gates and lounges.

SCHEDULED FLIGHTS

"We have devised the complex to simplify the whole process of personnel logistics," MacLean said. "The facility will allow a greater degree of efficiency and lead to substantial savings by the industry."

ABEL plans to handle crew movements in the same way as airlines, using scheduled flights. Currently, about 90% of flights are made to two clusters of fields, in the northern Quadrants 221 and 3 surrounding Brent field and in central Quadrants 14, 15, 16, 21 and ?? around Forties field. MacLean reckons many helicopters could stop at several platforms on a flight.

"ABEL also could act like a travel agency by pricing seats according to availability," MacLean said.

"If an operator or contractor needs to get men out to a platform on the next available flight, a top rate may be charged. If the operator can wait until next day, say, the men could go out on a lightly booked flight at a cheaper rate."