Arctic drilling rig Kulluk broke loose, ran aground

The Kulluk, one of Shell Oil’s two Arctic drilling rigs, broke free from a tow ship in stormy seas and ran aground Monday night, "reviving fears about Arctic drilling"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/b...-rig-runs-aground-in-gulf-of-alaska.html?_r=0

 

Apparently nobody was capable of correctly calculating the needed strength of the tow lines. This doesn't instill confidence.

 

I was reading earlier that she dragged two tow vessels for several miles. I guess she has a lot of windage....

And this article says the tows cut her loose deliberately during a storm, to save themselves in 24 ft waves:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/01/us/alaska-drilling-rig/index.html

I suppose it'll take a while to sort out the various stories.

 

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/artic...unded-shell-oil-drilling-rig-alaska-coast-map says first a tow shackle failed between the Kulluk and Aiviq tug on December 27. Then "the engines on the Aiviq failed, leaving the two vessels adrift at sea." Then it says "other tugs" were called in but all struggled to hold on to the Kulluk.

http://news.yahoo.com/runaway-alaska-oil-rig-dragged-two-tugs-miles-003752604.html says the Kulluk "dragged two vessels trying to control it more than 10 miles toward shore in just over an hour before the crews cut it loose to save themselves in 'near hurricane' conditions." ... "the 28,000-tonne, saucer-shaped rig being thrust toward the shore on waves up to 35 feet high driven by winds up to 62 mph, pulling its main towing vessel, the Aiviq, and a tug, the Alert"

 

Interesting how the media present the incident as an OIL DRILLING ACCIDENT.

No oil was being drilled....I view it as a Maritime incident.

 

This is not different from any other tow getting loose.

 

Could just as easily been a cruise ship full of tourists.

Hope they can get the salvage going before nature takes its toll.

 

Except that the drilling rig isn't self-propelled, and can't move without being towed. Towing on the high seas as a routine method of transportation increases the odds of something bad happening along the way.... especially in the Arctic.

 

That's because it's an oil drilling rig, and it's being towed around in Arctic weather only for that reason.

 

This was not an oil spill so why the fuss?

 

Ok ...I agree that Arctic drilling is a contentious issue.

A standard size fishing trawler or factory ship also holds many tons of fuel.

It will be interesting to learn of the coast Guards response and what proposals will be made in future.

https://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/s...05c9&user_id=2a47d4dbfd24ce2da39438e736cab2d6


You might not be aware but American Shipping , Safe Manning and Safety Standards have become so poor that The US has been removed from the WHITE list of shipping countries and put into the Grey List of offenders.

Obviously This might not have anything to do with the accident...but who knows.

 

It shouldn't be over looked that it has a sizable amount of oil onboard dispite the fact it is not self propelled.

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environmen...ample-of-safe-practices-or-Arctic-risks-video

 

My concern is that the same people involved in this incident will be running things when it is in place drilling. Another BP disaster in the making.....

 

You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet.