Can a oil rig sink?
Table of Contents
Can a oil rig sink?
In early 2013, a brand new $40 million oil platform sank within few seconds during installation in the Persian Gulf. Belonging to Iran’s Oil Pars Oil and Gas Company, the oil rig sank even before the workers could get a chance to escape the disaster safely.
How do you stop an oil rig from exploding?
Factors That Can Increase Safety on an Oil Rig
- Ensuring that an adequate number of crew members are on board.
- Providing fire extinguishers.
- Providing adequate safety gear, such as life jackets and rafts.
- Providing a detailed emergency plan and training crew members in its implementation.
How do oil rigs not sink?
Simple physics. As with oil tankers, heavy load barges and cruise ships, deep sea oil rigs float according to basic physics. As the weight of the rig pushes downwards displaced water pushes upwards, thus keeping the structure afloat.
Do offshore drilling rigs float?
Farther offshore, specially designed rigs mounted on ships can drill a well in waters over 10,000 feet (3050 meters) deep. These rigs float and can be attached to the ocean bottom using traditional mooring and anchoring systems or they maintain their position by using thrusters to counteract winds, waves and currents.
What can cause explosion in the rig?
What Causes Oil Rig Explosions? The causes of oil rig explosions often come down to a combination of defective equipment, unsafe drilling procedures, and insufficient maintenance. These factors then cause equipment failures, fires, and blowouts that create a tremendous loss of life.
What can cause explosion in oil rig?
Fire Hazards and Blowouts Blowouts such as the one that caused the Deepwater Horizon explosion are common because of all the flammable materials aboard. Fires and explosions occur due to possible leaks. Environmental conditions along with employer or employee negligence can result in a deadly explosion or fire.
How does a semi-submersible oil rig work?
Semi-submersibles are the choice for drilling from a floating position, due to the deep water depths. Semi-submersible (“semi”) rigs float like a ship while being towed into position, where their pontoons can then be flooded, partially submerging the rig.
How does a semi submersible oil rig work?
What is the deepest oil rig?
Perdido (spanish for lost) is the deepest floating oil platform in the world at a water depth of about 2450 meters (8040 feet) operated by the Shell Oil Company in the Gulf of Mexico. At 267 meters, it is almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower.
What is a semi-submersible drilling rig?
Semi-submersible rigs are buoyant and, unlike jack-up rigs which rest on the seabed, float during drilling operations. A semi-submersible rig is a drilling rig that is situated on a deck space that rests on several columns which, in turn, are attached to floating pontoons. Figure 8.12 shows a semi-submersible drilling rig.
What happened to the offshore oil drilling rig that sank?
The offshore oil drilling capsized and sank, killing 84 crew members on-board. The semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling rig owned by Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company (ODECO) was hired by Mobil Oil of Canada for drilling an exploration well at Hibernia field at the time of the accident.
What are the dangers of working on an oil rig?
Explosions and fires are the biggest concern of oil rig workers. All it takes is a little spark to come into contact with the gas or oil, and an earth-shattering explosion and never-ending fire are underway. The endless supply of fuel keeps the fire burning, with little chance of stopping it or of escaping.
How close can you get to an oil rig explosion?
Investigators could get no closer than 100 feet from the rig for most of the day of the explosion due to the intensity of the fire. As devastating as the explosion was, it isn’t the first one of the year. The worries that workers have that it won’t be the last aren’t far-fetched.