Helicopter Offshore Operations

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The subject of this paper is "Helicopter Support to Offshore". The paper confines itself to the North Sea environment and attempts to show how the helicopter and its supporting services have been developed to meet the requirements of the oil industry. The North Sea operation represented a challenging task to helicopter operators as indeed it did to the oil industry. Firstly this was the first time that all personnel involved offshore had to be ferried by helicopter: previously helicopters had only been used for the transportation of key people or management staff. Secondly, the weather extremes were quite unlike any that the oil industry had experienced elsewhere in the world; in this area calm foggy days alternate with gale force winds accompanied by heavy rain sleet and snow depending upon the season. It was therefore this sort of environment that the helicopter had to meet and overcome when offshore operations commenced in the North Sea in 1965. The operation was closely controlled by the government authority who placed it in the public transport category thus ensuring that a minimum standard of operation would be achieved. Helicopter operations in support of UK offshore drilling commenced in the Southern half of the North Sea. This support continues to the gas fields which were subsequently found. In 1968 the exploration moved North to 57 ° North and two years later to 61 ° North (Figure 1 and 2). Support for the oil and gasfields in the North continues and represents by far the largest part of the North Sea Operation being mounted predominantly from Aberdeen and Shetland. Prior to 1965 there was very little experience of using helicopters for the purpose of public transport and therefore the offshore support represented a new beginning. It was immediately apparent that if the transportation of people was to be successful it had to be safe and efficient. By efficient is meant a frequent and regular service. The helicopter therefore was required to meet certain basic criteria. British Civil Airworthiness Requirements stated that helicopters operating over the water would need to meet a Group A2 Performance category. The history of helicopter development had shown that forced landings, as a result of transmission failures, were more frequent than aeroplanes. Therefore the helicopter had to meet the provision of a safe emergency alighting capability in the likely sea states.