Page 46: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2016)

Station-

Keeping

In Ice

By Andrew Safer hile substantial amounts of a timely manner (see sidebar, page 48). when the force of impact of ice loads is petroleum reserves exist A Dynamic Positioning (DP) system within the vessel’s limits, automate the

Win the Arctic—30% of the out? tted to operate in managed ice (fol- response from the thrusters and propul- undiscovered gas and 13% of the un- lowing icebreaking) would satisfy this sion system required to maintain station. discovered oil, according to the U.S. requirement. It needs to (1) be equipped Such a DP system would be particularly

Geological Survey’s 2009 estimates — with predictive capability, (2) be able to valuable for a drillship when carrying there are hurdles that need to be cleared determine the counterforce that will be out operations. When the system noti- before oil and gas companies can ef? - required to offset the force of ice colli- ? es the DP Operator that the vessel will ciently operate there. A high priority sion, (3) “know” the limitations of the be unable to maintain its position due to is to be able to accurately predict the vessel’s engine power and propulsion the magnitude of the ice loads, the op- forces that nearby ice ? oes would exert system, (4) recognize when ice loads erator would then ensure that the drill on a vessel’s hull upon impact, and have will exceed these limits and provide string and risers are pulled, there would the ability to react to this information in a signal to the DP Operator, and (5) be a controlled, safe disconnect from the (Photo: National Research Council of Canada) (R-L) Captain Chris Hearn, Director, Center for Marine Simulation and Maria Halfyard, Manager,

Applied Research and Industrial Projects in the Offshore Operations Simulator which is out? tted with a DP system (controller is on the left)

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