Page 32: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1996)

ship & boatbuilding technology division p

Undersea propeller repair is offered anywhere by \

Engineering A Solution

Key to the team's success has been the development of equipment which makes it possible to straighten major propeller bends, as well as equipment designed to dramatically shorten the time it takes to cut and grind blades.

In addition, specialized equipment and techniques were developed which enabled

Lips technicians to measure propeller geometry underwater, reportedly with degrees of accuracy comparable to onshore shops. Of course, every propeller cannot be straightened, as cold straightening to class standards is only possible when there is no associated cracking. But Lips believes its specialized training provides an advantage, as its team is capable of looking for and evaluating any additional defects.

For more information on Lips Subsea

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SMOOTH SAILING

Problem: A cruise ship in Alaska encounters ice, and one of its highly skewed, four-blade props is bent aft eight in., with the bend extend- ing 20 in. into the section.

Standard Solution: Cut off both the dam- aged blade and the opposite, undamaged blade, so as to restore mass balance. This decreases speed, increases fuel costs, and increases later repair costs.

Lips Subsea Solution: At 9:30 a.m., Lips engineers enter the water, and confirm the bend is free of cracks. A half-hour later, a straighten- ing device is lowered into place. By 11:00 a.m., the Lips technician has straightened the bend and inspected the blade to confirm that there are no new cracks. That evening, the ship sails as sched- uled. with normal propeller vibration reported.

Vast opportunities for Gulf Coast

Kimo Mackey is a busy guy.

He, and his "SWAT" team of divers are ready at a moment's notice to respond to calls from shipowners and operators around the world, answering the calls for help with a complete pro- peller repair solution.

Mr. Mackey would have it no other way.

Lips Subsea — based in Poulsbo, Wash. — was formed to provide a quick, correct and cost-effec- tive solution to propeller damage. The underwa- ter repair team can be most anywhere in the world within 48 hours, and it provides services consistent with each individual situation.

The team promises to deliver most any major propeller repair work, including the straighten- ing of major bends. The company reports that the repairs are often considered by the major class societies to be 100 percent complete.

Even the most seasoned owner/operator knows that pulling a ship from service for repairs is a trying time — both mentally and financially.

Lost time equals lost business, and coupled with escalating repair costs and razor-thin margins prevalent in the industry today, the event can lead to real financial disaster. Propeller damage seems to be particularly prevalent in the Pacific

Northwest of the U.S., a factor which led to the base of the company. (Continued from page 29) increased demand for drilling in deeper water, the market for semi- submersible conversions has exploded, and big rig yards are now look- ing at backlogs of projects that extend into late summer of 1997," said

Mr. Covington.

Peter Husta, director, Sales and Marketing, for Service Marine

Industries, Inc., reports similar offshore conditions. The activities in the Gulf of Mexico are increasing significantly, as evidenced by the number of working platforms and rigs in use and currently under mobilization. As of early June, 63 of the 77 Gulf platform rigs were working under contract, according to Mr. Husta. "Our customers are busy supporting drilling activities in progres- sively deeper waters. They are also being called upon to support dif- ferent types of activities which require them to reconfigure their ships to meet the specific needs of the oil, drilling or seismic survey compa- ny. This level of activity is much higher than we've seen in the past three to five years," said Mr. Husta. 34 Maritime Reporter,Engineering News

Pictured is an illustration of 4-D, one of the new information technology services provided by Western Geophysical. The objective of this service is to provide oil and gas compa- nies with a detailed reservoir model which allows identification of subtle changes in fluid content.

New Technologies Spawn New Business

According to Mr. Koerber of Western Atlas, three major technolo- gies have enabled oil companies to reduce their finding costs so much that the actual block price is less of an issue compared with three to five years ago. These technologies are: 3-D seismic, which cuts costs