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to DNV also replaced, due to obsolescence, Tow-out verifcation. with a new programmable logic con-

On May 27, 2012, the drydock was “From Martin Rune Pedersen [man- troller system with human-machine fooded and Gryphon Alpha foated aging director, Maersk Oil North Sea] interface, to enable the operator to out. Sea trials were in the southern to Pers Skrumsager, the operations

North Sea during August, and moor- manager, the mind set was that we see more data.

North Sea

The reality is that much of the work ing hook-up and riser pulling during were not going to start until we were carried out between February 2011 September and October 2012. ready,” says Oswald. and April 2013 in drydock—not all of Before frst oil the entire team took

Commissioning and hook up of it outlined here—was planned before “24 hours out for safety.” All staff, both marine systems started October 2012, the incident. But, it would have been those who had been with the vessel including failure mode and effects carried out offshore, during a time before February 4, and after, under- analysis, a process limited by the which has seen multiple periods of bad took training on the new and retained allowable number of persons on weather and the grounding of part of systems. board (130), and not helped by poor the North Sea’s helicopter feet, due to A vessel was hired with the same weather and the limited helicopter two ditchings in 2012, making logistics DP system as Gryphon Alpha for the service. Topsides commissioning particularly diffcult. crew to train on. Emergency situation then led up to May 2013, for frst

The extent of the repairs meant the scenarios were also introduced, with production. vessel was able to achieve class renewal, “We checked everything in tripli- every potential emergency scenario which had been scheduled for 2016. cate—fanges, nuts, lines, piping and worked through, training carried

Scott Taylor, installation support instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs),” out, for staff, vendors and contrac- engineer, Maersk, says: “It would have says Stuart Oswald, offshore installa- tors, and procedures recorded in the been challenging to see Gryphon Alpha tion manager, Maersk. Environmental Health and Safety Plan.

out of commission much further than Production of Gryphon Alpha,

The P&IDs had all been updated that. Now, as long as wells are produc- targeted at 20M bbl/d restarted in to “as built” and line walked, the ing, we should see Gryphon Alpha May, without any leaks, and is cur- process integrity register updated, as through in to the future. It was all rently “exceeding expectations,” says was the alarm and trip register, the about doing work now that was going Oswald, with additional wells due safety and integrity level register—in to future-proof us.” online by the end of the year. fact all documentation—in addition

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