When Elf Enterprise Caledonia Ltd. shows visitors around Piper Bravo platform on U.K. North Sea Block 15/17, it can be well over an hour before anything is seen of the 'business end' of operations.
Visitors are first shown the freefall lifeboats that are central to the platform's emergency escape systems. Viewing of drilling and production facilities, at the far end of the platform from quarters, comes later.
Piper Bravo is the platform built to replace Piper Alpha, which exploded in July 1988, killing 167 crew members. Lessons learned from that accident revolutionized offshore safety worldwide.
Piper B is seen in the U.K. as the embodiment of the new safety regime, Redevelopment of Piper field was combined with development of two nearby satellites, with production starting up in February (OGJ, Feb. 8, p. 31).
Descent from quarters to the lifeboats is down one of two stairwells at the sides of the accommodation module. The stairway is surrounded by fire and blast walls and leads to the lifeboat muster point, which is also the platform's temporary safe refuge.
80 FT DROP
The lifeboats are designed to drop 80 ft from a cradle on the platform into the sea, with forward momentum carrying the boat 350 ft away from the platform even if its engine fails.
Freefall boats are different from anything most offshore workers are used to. The lifeboats point down and away from the platform, and are entered by a door in the stern. The seats have safety belts that slip over the shoulders and fasten across the stomach, and a band which secures the head.
The thought of an 80 ft drop created initial apprehension about freefall lifeboats among crew members, according to Gordon Dewar, offshore installation manager at Piper B. However, the suitability of freefall escape was proven by tests showing that people with spinal injuries can be carried without serious aggravation of their condition, he explains.
PERSUASION
"Having gone through training, people have lots of confidence in the lifeboats," said Dewar. "The lifeboats leave the platform quickly and handle well, steering more like a normal boat than previous types of lifeboat."
Each of Piper's nine lifeboats can carry 45 people. Dewar said emergency escape trials showed that the platform's 180 crew members can be strapped into lifeboats ready to go only 10 min after sounding the alarm. From then, it would take 8 sec to release each boat and 2 sec to hit the water.
If a reluctant crew member needs further persuasion about the benefits of freefall lifeboats, he or she can be shown the yellow buoy marking the remains of Piper Alpha platform, only half a mile away.
Copyright 1993 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
