Watching the World Oldest offshore unit in the world

With David Knott from London [email protected] At any major railway station in the U.K., you are likely to see small huddles of people at the remote ends of platforms. They are usually male, dressed in anoraks, clutching notebooks and timetables. These people are trainspotters, a peculiarly British phenomenon. They jot down serial numbers of passing trains, and in between train arrivals they discuss arcane details of train construction, timetables, and so on.

Dec. 2, 1996

3 min read

At any major railway station in the U.K., you are likely to see small huddles of people at the remote ends of platforms. They are usually male, dressed in anoraks, clutching notebooks and timetables.

These people are trainspotters, a peculiarly British phenomenon. They jot down serial numbers of passing trains, and in between train arrivals they discuss arcane details of train construction, timetables, and so on.

If there were similar enthusiasts for the oil and gas industry, they would find deep satisfaction in tracking offshore vessels. And the Register of Offshore Units, Submersibles, and Underwater Systems would be their bible.

The register is published by Lloyd's Register, London, and the 1996-97 edition arrived on my desk last week. Any trainspotter would envy the amount of detail it contains about offshore vessels worldwide.

For example, Glomar High Island V is listed as a self-elevating drilling rig (Marathon Le Tourneau 82-SD-C, cantilever type), owned and operated by Global Marine Drilling Co. and registered at Houston, Tex.

Old timers

The register tells us it was built in 1981 by Marathon Le Tourneau at Brownsville, Tex., that it has legs (triangular truss): 3 of 394 ft.

Then follows a whole host of facts and figures about equipment on board.

As you might expect, most of the drilling rigs and offshore construction vessels listed were built in the 1970s and 1980s. But there are a few old timers still plying their trade.

Manta Ray drillship was built in 1944 and has seen a few changes along the way. First it was a minesweeper, then a cargo ship, until it was converted for drilling in 1973. Now it operates out of Seattle.

Grandfather of them all is Think Big crane/pile-driving barge, built in 1918. Another one-time naval vessel, Think Big was converted from steam to diesel electric in 1977. It now operates from Portland, Ore.

Particularly useful is the register's tracking of all the name changes of rigs and offshore vessels, as they are bought and sold and as contractors and owners merge.

Name changes

Some vessels have had their names changed more frequently than secret agents. Ensco 72 jack-up rig is now operated by Ensco Netherlands Ltd. but had its name changed from Dan King in 1984, Ocean Benarmin in 1990, Benarmin Explorer in 1992, and Ross Explorer in 1995.

Solitaire pipelaying ship, operated by Allseas Marine Contractors SA, The Hague, was built in 1972 as Trentwood. It became Interbulk Vanguard in 1988, Trentwood again in 1988, Akdeniz S in 1990, Comship in 1992, Solitaire I in 1992, and plain Solitaire in 1993.

When the register arrived, I first flicked through the pages, then became absorbed in all the wonderful names and details. It reminded me of reading at school the poetry of William Blake, except it made sense.

But the fact that I took the time to look out the oldest rigs and construction vessels worries me. Maybe I'd better seek help, or I'll soon be standing on the beach at Cromarty Firth, dressed in an anorak, notebook to hand.