PLANNED DANISH BRIDGE IRKS FINN RIGBUILDER

Denmark's plans to build a bridge between two of its islands have triggered a dispute with Soviet oil authorities and Finland's Rauma Repola Oy, which supplies the U.S.S.R. with mobile offshore rigs. The bridge's height of 65 m above the Great Belt strait separating Fyn and Zealand islands won't allow clearance of semisubmersible drilling rigs with derricks upright even when the rigs are partly submerged, Moscow newspaper Izvestia reported.

Jan. 7, 1991

2 min read

Denmark's plans to build a bridge between two of its islands have triggered a dispute with Soviet oil authorities and Finland's Rauma Repola Oy, which supplies the U.S.S.R. with mobile offshore rigs.

The bridge's height of 65 m above the Great Belt strait separating Fyn and Zealand islands won't allow clearance of semisubmersible drilling rigs with derricks upright even when the rigs are partly submerged, Moscow newspaper Izvestia reported.

That will prevent transit of semisubmersibles between the Baltic and North seas unless the derricks are removed. Keeping derricks upright on semis calls for a clearance of more than 85 m, Izvestia reported.

RAUMA REPOLA'S STANCE

Rauma Repola said Danish suggestions of removing derricks or taking another route between the two seas are technically and economically unrealistic.

The Finnish firm complained to Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which in turn sent a note of protest to Danish authorities.

Rauma Repola also contacted Soviet agencies because it often cooperates closely with the U.S.S.R.'s Vyborg shipyard at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland.

Rauma Repola and the Soviet Sudoexport agency are jointly building arctic class jack ups at Vybrorg that they hope will find work in other countries. The jack ups, which measure 150 m tall, 88 m long, and 68 m wide, can work in 100 m of water in temperatures of -30 C.

The proposed bridge won't allow passage of such rigs to Norway, where Rauma Repola has customers for them.

Izvestia quoted RaumaRepola officials as saying that during the past 18 years 23 Finnish mobile rigs passed through the strait where the bridge is to be built. About 10 Vyborg built rigs also used the route.

DONMARK'S RESPONSE

Denmark rejected suggestions of building the bridge higher or with a drawbridge.

Denmark also refuted claims that building the bridge would violate maritime law, citing disputes over whether a mobile drilling rig can be considered a ship.

In addition, Denmark proposed that the matter go to the International Court in The Hague.