Offshore visit
I’m back from a week long trip offshore. For the last few days, I was stuck in the middle of South China sea on a lone complex: Juliet-Echo-Alpha. With temperatures over 45°, noise levels 120+db, being offshore is a numbing experience always. But then, you have a job to do.
During my trip offshore, I had only passive access to the outside world: satellite TV and a day-old newspaper that arrived via the chopper. I had to leave my cellphone behind at the airport because of strict regulations. Cellphones interfere with communication, disrupt wireless control and monitoring of sensitive equipment (I’m sure you know the yadayada that the flight attendant announces before you take off). You may have a disaster at hand if your device happens to match the frequency of potentially dangerous equipment. Also, cameras need permits and are restricted in usage. Camera flash is not allowed, since it has potentially enough energy to be a source of ignition. In addition, flash can also disrupt UV sensitive equipment on the platform and render it from functioning properly.
Calling home was rationed. I would wait, along with other workers on the rig, after a tiring work day to call home from a single telephone after 6:30pm. No access to the internet or any form of communication whatsoever. And I thought that times had changed enough to solicit such indulgences, even on remote facilities.
In all, it was fun living on a high-restriction, always on-alert facility, totally disconnected, feeling greasy and working 12 hours a day, facing the heat and noise of the machines.
Posts like these make blogs interesting to read. It’s so much fun and discovery to know what interesting and different kind of things people are doing in their lives. Must have been a great experience to witness something like this. cool.
Mar 11, 06 at 15:13Well, it’s part of what I do for a living. I have to go offshore whenever work demands it. But unlike the regular rig workers, engineers like myself go there only for troubleshooting. Also, the duration of our stay is much less to worry about keeping our sanity intact :).
Mar 11, 06 at 21:24