Offshore in Aserbaidjan – Baku

Hi folks,

this time I will try to write in english because there are some new people who would like to read that blog, too, but can’t read it if it’s in german!

I am writing about the current project of my department. This time we are really offshore, which means far away from Norway: It’s in Azerbaijan close to Baku.

The social part: When I arrived at the airport in Baku (monday, 7th) I was impressed at the amount of construction sites. It seemed to me that they build about thirty new hotels at the same time. The promenade in town gives the same impression.

Skyline of Baku with conference center

The extremly, shiny white promenade of Baku

Jan in the center of Baku

I was told that the town has lots of money because of oil. Alarmingly is the contrast between the poor and the rich. There is no middle class. Either they drive Mercedes, BMW, VW, Range Rover or they move by Lada/Zhiguli, by bus or by foot.

The barge part: Our client comes form Italy and Azerbaidjan. It’s a multi-cultural team and you can feel the mediterranian flair. – My colleagues went down to Baku some weeks before me to do some preparations/premarking. They were not that lucky because the barge we are using now has not been in use for a long time. The whole barge had to be cleaned and everybody had to get used to the procedures: the cleaning team, the washing team, the cooking team,…

When I arrived at Baku together with my colleguages a week ago they said it is much better. I don’t really want to think about the hygiene because it is still very poor.- The variety of  food is limited as well. We have lots of different types of meals but they taste all the same: nothing! If I start using salt and pepper without tasting… this means a lot! (Greetings to my salty friends!)

DBA - Derrick Barge Azerbaidjan - still at the quayside

The barge was built in 1977 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg (at least a sign says so, but I have the feeling of being home). Barge means lots of engines – but not for moving itself! That’s why the barge needed to be towed to the location (120km east-south-east from Baku) by a big vessel.

Due to a flow resistance like a cupboard the barge moved in almost every direction except straight on! Luckily the movement was very slow so we could see it but couldn’t feel it.

No free space on the main deck of the barge

The work part: Our task is to measure four piles in relation to a template which is standing in the middle. The distance between the piles and the template is about 30 to 50 meters. Normaly we would use our standard H-frames (3,00m x 1,20m, with special photogrammetry marking tape) to establish a connection between a pile and the template and take pictures for the measurement afterwards. But the client wants us to measure the distances after installing each pile immediately. While we measure the first pile they install the second pile. While we measure the second pile they install the third pile….

It would take too long to move all H-frames separately. Therefore our client produced four special frames (LMTF – Long Metrology Tie-in Frame) with a lenght of 22m and one with 40m. In that case we only have to establish connections between the template and the LMTF and the LMTF and the pile.

If the whole procedure runs smoothly we will have to work for maybe eight days 24h a day. But…

The waiting part: Before we can start our work, other subclients have to finish their tasks, which involves:

• Stabilization of the barge with eight anchors (finished)
• Installation of the template on the sea floor
• Installation of three guide piles with a hydraulic hammer into the seabed (length: 40m, ø 0,50m) to fix the template
• Installation of “our” piles (length: 100m, ø 1,90m)

During those tasks there are many other tasks which have to be done as well, for example accoustic measurements, ROV-surveys, levelling tasks, … and the big piles have to be delivered because they are still onshore.

One pile - Length: 100m - Diameter: 1,90m - Weight: Enough

The impressive part: The big piles are 100m long.  During the towing of them with a supply boat one by one to the site, they are floating. The water depth on location is approximately 170m and I think it is a hard task to position the piles on the seabed. Prior to the penetration of the piles with the hydraulic hammer the piles will sink into the seabed for about 30m due to their own weight.

The piles are hammered into the ground until they stick out for only four meters. During the hammering two ROVs will monitor the penetrated seabed and the top of the pile with the hydraulic hammer. In regular intervals the hammering will be stopped to control the tilt of the pile with an inclinometer.

The brainless part: There is a lot of waiting. No wireless internet on board, not even facilities for recreation and leisure. Apart from daily training in the gym I read a lot. I have finished my first book with 660 pages after four days and hope that I have enough with me. In parallel I am trying to learn portuguese which is much harder than norwegian.

While walking on the helicopter deck in silly, circular walks, trying to get tanned, I feel like a trapped animal. I change direction every now and then to  get a different view.

Vessel towing the barge out of the harbour or prison yard with guards

Normaly I am walking 40 minutes (twenty in each direction). One round takes 45 seconds and I need about 90 steps. My step length is 0,76m. After all I walk 3.645m every afternoon!

The beautiful part: Not everything is bad. I really enjoy the view!

Beautiful sunset without a glass of wine and all alone

A very nice dusk after the sunset

Yours,

Jan

P. S.: I will come back soon and hope that I can give some more details about my return date.

Advertisement

Tags: Arbeit, Baku, Offshore, Weather, Work