What the f happened to the Bigfoot tendons? We were all supposed to be rolling in dividends and all we read is how that project team fed the cat on that one. What happened?
13 replies (most recent on top)
To be clear, it would be impossible to install the Big Foot platform without all of the tendons intact. The delay had nothing to do with the risk associated with installing the platform after the tendon incident. There was an incident and the company made the only decision, which was to sail the Big Foot Facility back to a safe harbor.
Nothing wrong with the tendons, problem was with the TBMs.
Ask yourself this... When Bigfoot finally is put into place and becomes operational on Day 1, would you be nervous to work onboard this platform? As for me, I would be very cautious and would be sleeping at night with my life vest on.
... and since CVX is one of the good guys and always treats its business partners (vendors, contractors, service companies) right, we will never hold a BP accountable and make them pay for their f*ckups. Just looks at DWEP, where we have million $$$ blunders happen every month (vendor sends out mismatches service tool, wrong well head, directional tools that can't steer, etc.). At $1.3 MM/day the NPT adds up quickly and could easily support a rig in MCBU or SJV for an entire year.
But, but, but the God-mandated Peer Review and Assurance reviews are supposed to catch those risks!?
Biggest joke. Nothing but high paid PSGs ego striking themselves and gossiping, err.... Interviewing the Project engineers to provide, hum, nothing. They all do it for the trips, free food, free stay at 5-star hotels and of course flyng first class!!
Both 216 & 259 are correct...high PSGs in DWEP made the decision to set sail, to make a "milestone". lets give ourselves a round of applause- hell it's a green dot on the scorecard right?
Jump to the last chapter of the story and... you have to ask yourself... Why would we design it "that way"? We didn't need to have an underutilized rig on a platform "for futute workovers" to pull ESP's. To pull ESP's. To pull ESP's? Say that out loud to yourself. That was our plan going into this MCP?... With a contractor that is based on land rigs. __critics-- N87 was designed and built by Ensco and N85, it's a land rig on a spar. While I'm at it I'll just point out that Nabors Drilling has some really cool flexrigs...I'll stop there.
There's no "open" communication at Chevron. They say they encourage it, but they really don't want "open and honest" communication. Just open your yap a little too often or a little to loud, and you will be transferred to a job in the basement or to an offshore platform. Once the company believes you've been segregated long enough, you will be fired or run off the job.
Ever notice how management praises open communication as a virtue until they want to keep something secret? Actions speak louder than words on this topic.
216, Luck that's all. There was no bright side. One more minute and that platform would have been hooked up. Who knows what disaster was averted by LUCK.
On the bright side, at least they failed before the topsides was set (it was a foot away from being set on the tendons before it had to be pulled back due to sea states).
I beg to differ, 202070. You say, "it wasn't the tendons so much as the additional risk...". Please remember, it was 9 of 16 tendons that failed and sunk to the ocean floor. First 3 tendons, then another 6 a day or two later. It would have been ludicrous to think of installing the platform after that happened. So, it had ALL to do with the tendons, NOT the additional risk. The question is why did this happen? What caused this failure? Believe me, there are a few individuals, including the CEO, who know the answer and it's not good.
It wasn't the tendons so much as the additional risks carried by performing the install when they did. Goes to the top.
What happened with the Bigfoot tendons is a dark secret that only a few people know. It's likely due to flawed engineering and/or poor materials used in the construction. Until further notice it will remain a secret. We have enough blunders in our hands that letting the cat out of the bag on this one would just be adding fuel to the fire. We are in crisis management right now.