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Educating the industry

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Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
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  • July 1, 2010 at 6:47 am #3628
    rovnumpty
    Participant

    I think one of the primary purposes for this fledgling assocation should be to educate other proffessionals as to what an ROV is capable.

    Please the quotes below from the BBC on the 15th of June

    The blowout on BP’s Macondo well 5,000ft deep has forced oil firms to review their technology and systems, according to Donald Dobson of the Health and Safety Executive.

    Mr Dobson, who leads a team of inspectors monitoring the safety of oil and gas wells in the UK, identifies several factors that add to the risks of deep-sea operations:
    Waters deeper than 400m are beyond the reach of divers and although remotely operated vehicles are increasingly sophisticated, there are limits to their effectiveness. An ROV "can push buttons and turn handles but that’s about all" it can do.

    ‘Push buttons and turn handles’. ‘Industry expert’. About says it all for me.

    Also saw some of this is tne recent coverage of the GOM oil spill. Talking heads from BP saying the work ‘very complex’ for an ROV. Rubbish.

    If more industry big wigs appreciate what ROVs can – and do on a daily basis, arguing the point that a good ROV operator is a seriuosly skilled person becomes much easier.

    July 1, 2010 at 7:08 am #28453
    thomas
    Participant

    Well said rovnumpty…….
    The more informed press we get the greater the chances of regognition we deserve

    July 1, 2010 at 8:02 am #28454
    James McLauchlan
    Participant

    …..and here is just one article that may help to redress that in some small way…..

    http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/29/4579285-the-pilots-behind-the-robot-navy

    You are right though…. So called Industry expert and ‘Waters deeper than 400m are beyond the reach of divers’ Try 200m commercially!!

    As for:

    ‘remotely operated vehicles are increasingly sophisticated, there are limits to their effectiveness. An ROV "can push buttons and turn handles but that’s about all" it can do.’

    How about…..

    • Change AX Rings
    • Land. position, and release subsea assets
    • Hook up and recover subsea assets
    • Install risers
    • Cary out video surveys
    • Locate lost equipment
    • Check wall thickness
    • Clean subsea assets
    • Check for Flooded members
    • Check for leaks
    • Bury cable, pipleines etc
    • Install pipeline supports
    • Offer divers support
    • Oh.. and er…. help recover oil pumping out of the ground into the GOM

    The list goes on……

    Where is this Industry expert getting their information from I ask myself???

    July 1, 2010 at 10:43 am #28455
    thomas
    Participant

    Hopefully from the spokesperson of the IROVA in the future

    July 1, 2010 at 3:39 pm #28456
    ROV_VALLEY_COMMANDO
    Participant

    Donald Dobson has clearly been watching Oceaneering trying there best again!

    July 1, 2010 at 11:48 pm #28457
    liddelljohn
    Participant

    Talking to SMD today and the commisioning engineer for our new SMD 2500m PCPT system said that some SMD quantums and SS7 hercules are on site as well at the BP disater site as OC cant cope as SMD have sent other engineers out as well.

    July 2, 2010 at 5:40 am #28458
    rovnumpty
    Participant

    liddeljohn

    If by OC you mean Oceaneering, I think you’ll find the SS7 Hercs have been there since start onboard the Skandi Neptune. I beleive she’s been working for BP in that part of the world for about 5 years.

    There’s also some Canyon XLS’s onboard the Q4000.

    Didn’t know there was any SMD vehicles there. Did the engineer mention why they were sending out people? As pionted out on another thread, there doesn’t seem to be anything too complex going on, ROV wise.

    This does point out another problem the IROVA is going to have. The current standrds for ROV operations vary greatly from company to company, and in some cases, crew to crew.

    The attitudes of many OIMs, OCMs and vessel supers comes from having had some incapable crews making a mess of simple jobs then blaming everything from current to ‘gyro gimble lock’

    The general tendency is (apart from the odd few who enjoy sticking the knife in) for us, as an industry, to close ranks and not comment on another crew’s abilities.

    And there in lies the problem. If entrance to the IROVA works on peer reveue, who’s going to ensure the standards are met? One Supervisor’s ‘bloody good tech’ is another’s ‘useless twat’, depending entirely on the supervisors own experience and technical abiltity.

    It would only take a couple of bad crews on a couple of high profile jobs for the IROVA’s competancies to be regarded in the same light as IMCA’s.

    July 2, 2010 at 6:38 am #28459
    thomas
    Participant

    At this time and for the forseeable future the standards are met by each company through IMCA.

    In future hopefully the IROVA will be responsable for ensuring pay and conditions for ROV people.

    The future entry qualifications of IROVA will be set higher and be more controlled to avoid blaggers therefore there should be fewer complaints of competencies of ROV people who are members of IROVA

    July 2, 2010 at 3:44 pm #28460
    James McLauchlan
    Participant

    I note that some (just a few) appear to be looking for problems that IROVA might face in future which shows an element of thought for the longer term but right now I would say lets look at the positive ways to get this rolling and not hang too much on the (currently) hypothetical issues that the association may be faced with further down the line, of which I am sure there will be many.

    Once there is an IROVA it’ll be a different matter. It’ll be around that point that the Association will begin to fulfil one of it’s primary roles by way of Educating the Industry in all manner of things ROV.

    July 3, 2010 at 8:25 am #28461
    rovnumpty
    Participant

    I’m afraid I disagree James

    The Only way the IROVA is going to work is by getting the ROV companies and Oil Operators to buy into it. After all (and as painful as it is to say) without them, we end up as a bunch of very experienced bar flies and househusbands – unless the IROVA plans to buy a load of ROVs.

    The only likely way we’ll get them to buy into it is offering them something they can sell, such as greater professionalism from the IROVA members, or a guarenteed level of technical and operational knowledge (as we all know that anyone with enough money can buy any IMCA rating they want).

    I feel this should be the founding principle of any ROV Operators Asscocation.

    Without the companies onboard, the only route the IROVA would have to promote it’s competancies would be via health and safety legislation. And this would guarentee to get the companies backs up and result in us all sitting at home again.

    James, if yourself, Justatot, or anyone else wish to take these comments as negative, that’s fine by me.

    But my comments, and a few others on other boards, are constructive suggestions. Once you try to promote the IROVA outside this forum, I’m sure you’ll run into REAL negative comments.

    July 3, 2010 at 10:30 am #28462
    thomas
    Participant

    Rovnumpty
    Thankyou for your constructive comments.

    I fail to see why IROVA would fail in its objectives due to the failure of ROV companies and operators buying into it.If the majority of ROV people are sitting on the beach then of course it follows that ROV companies will not be able to earn revenue for their companies.

    The IROVA will have no desire to go into conflict with companies or operators,it will exist alongside operators and companies to compliment and increase their ROV expertees.

    I have already been contacted by an ROV company pledging their support for what we are trying to do here and I see no reason why others would not join them.

    Better professional standards…..Yes we will have better standards if we ensure that the standards we set for membership of each level is greater than the standard required at present.

    If it is my decision then no one will buy any membership as that is a big problem at this time in our industry.

    I have the feeling ,that if this is done properly, and transparent, then ,there is no reason for anyone, or any company, or orginisation to critisise us . I think we will be welcomed by bone fide ROV companies who are interested in providing value for service ,instead of blagging their way through for as long as they can before they are brought up short.

    I do not take your comments as negative,you have obvious views and considerations for our industry and I am happy to discuss any or all of them with you to try to aleviate your fears for the future.

    If we dont do this here and now then I foresee a bleak future for all of us.

    Please do not hesitate to comment further.

    If we promote this association outside of this forum then who should have any reason to critisize a body of professional people.

    Please register your interest in making our industry better and join us in formulating it.

    July 3, 2010 at 2:20 pm #28463
    Scott Beveridge
    Participant

    Donald Dobson has clearly been watching Oceaneering trying there best again!

    😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 🙄

    Guys,

    The first place or people that need the educaton of an ROV association is your own crew… Get the crew and mates that you know getting their voice on the comms…

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