Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (October 2016)

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ARCTIC / COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS

Point Thomson

Kathy A. Smith is a Victoria, BC-based maritime writer who has penned over 100 published trade articles.

Unique Conditions demand Spe- cial Equipment and Personnel

Alaskan weather can be harsh and ever-changing, so being able to rely on people and assets is vitally im- portant. Stevens says approximately 48 crew are rotated between vessels. “You have to have personnel that have a lot of quali? cations and a lot of ex- perience in the region and understand the dynamics that they could face be- cause there are no support services up there,” he says. “If you don’t have the support service around, the small tug and barge unit has to be self-con- tained. It’s a unique operating envi- ronment and it also takes a unique, quali? ed mariner to be able to suc- cessfully work those regions safely.”

As the oil patch awaits better times, here and in the Gulf of Mexico, Foss and its business assets are already hard at work in the region. Investing in

Arctic class equipment, it also looks like they are here to stay – in good time and bad.

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