That recent article about oil discovery in the Falklands linked to on another thread got me thinking.

It says that oil platforms were towed to the Falklands. That must've taken absolutely bloody ages! Or did they have the parts shipped out somewhere, assembled and then towed? How do the logistics of this stuff work?

like this on the back of a bloody great big ship

Shitting Jesus; size of that bastard! 😯

my missus works in teh oil industry

the costs for a days drilling are in the millions

that black stuff is precious indeed

Holy crap on a cracker!

A ship called Cockwise!!

black gold it is! I work for some oil and gas companies, money is pishing into/out of them.

Talk you have a way with words 😉

What is drilling in the Falklands is called a semi-submersible drilling rig, the one they are using is the Ocean Princess. Its not much of a princess and last time I worked on it about 15 years ago it was a right old sh1t heap. They are towed by a couple of supply boats or tugs and anchored to the bottom while drilling.

The picture up the page is of a newer generation of directionally possitioned semi's that are used mainly in deep water – just like the one that sank in the gulf a couple of weeks ago. They dont use anchors as they are self propelled (most of the time)

Talk you have a way with words

Thank you Pigface! 😀

(Feels weird calling someone 'Pigface' in a pleasant and amicable manner…)

There's also this type. My old man did quite a bit of design for the Maersk Inspirer. He was on it in the shipyard when they put it through testing for the jacks – the 3 legs you see there in the up position.

😯

Is that the Clyde?