Page 42: of Marine Technology Magazine (April 2015)

Of shore Energy & Icebergs

Memorial University &

Understanding Icebergs

By Tom Peters hey can come in all shapes and sizes, silently shuttled “We require all of the operators to have ice management along by the currents. The larger versions are white, plans which are submitted to us as part of the authorization

Tglistening and beautiful and a potential disaster waiting process and you can’t get authorization to operate offshore un- to happen. less you have an ice management plan,” said Sean Kelly with

Icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador are the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum one of the many products of a harsh North Atlantic environ- Board, who also noted the industry “just came out of a pretty ment and a hazard to offshore exploration rigs, drill ships, heavy ice season.” and platforms. In any given year there could be thousands of He said ice management is just one of a number of plans bergs, ranging in size from several feet in height and weighing required, all identifying potential risks and what the measures hundreds of thousands of tons to the smaller size, known as would be to address those risks.

Bergy bits, but all equally as dangerous. Husky Energy, which operates the Sea Rose FPSO, a ? oat-

Keeping an eye on these ? oating giants is a full time job sev- ing production vessel for the White Rose ? eld, has dedicated eral months of the year and requires an action plan by those op- ice observers on offshore facilities during ice season and liaise erating in this environment to thwart off any pending collision. with a number of companies in terms of monitoring, said Hus-

Suncor, Husky Energy, Statoil and the various shareholders ky’s Colleen O’Connell. She said the number of icebergs Hus- of the Hibernia platform, presently operate off the Newfound- ky would deal with annually varies according to ice conditions.

land coast, some at more ice risk than others, but all poten- And Suncor, the major partner and operator of the Terra tially a target. Nova ? eld, just over 200 miles southeast of St. John’s, has an

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