Week 3. 16th – 20th April 2012
Ask and you shall be given
Just as it seemed there would be little work to do, I am now working for 3 different programme managers on three completely unrelated tasks – in fact I’m wondering if one of them has any relevance for me at all… In addition to the Bruce P60 Bridge Bearing Access Platforms (I’ve written the SOR which is now being reviewed by the Programme Manager) I am working on the following:
Study into the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) platform POB (Persons on Board). Prior to putting more accommodation modules (or similar) on the ETAP platform I have been tasked with working out what the addition of manpower would mean – more lifeboats (certainly); more kitchen space (probably); increased electrical demand, HVAC, water and everything else (you betcha), another helipad (maybe not). Presently ETAP can hold 113 POB, so 30 more is a fair increase. I also need to delve around and see if the figure of 30 is an ‘all-in’ figure inclusive of logistics (cooking, cleaning etc) or if that is for drilling alone, and so more support staff would be needed. And work out who said 30 in the first instance anyway!!! Having not been onto ETAP or any other platform yet I’m still not completely au fait with the goings on off-shore, so a recce is definitely required!
Depending on the results of this self-defined study, I might find myself designing new accommodation to go on the platform or doing a cost-analysis of different options – accommodation barges for peak periods, daily commutes or use of floatels. Although this analysis is not engineering per se, this task (which could end up pretty huge – we’re talking about spending many £ms here) will require me to get involved with many different departments in the SPU (Strategic Performance Unit – I am in the North Sea SPU) and test my critical analysis. It will almost certainly get me off-shore too which will be good.
ETAP Platform at night
Runcorn – is it working? Nine months ago our main design-house contractor, PSN, were asked by BP to expand their engineering capacity. They did this by forming an office in Runcorn, Cheshire, who now deal with some of our design tasks and other engineering. But – as I found out first-hand at our team meeting a fortnight ago, the BP staff are rather dubious about its effectiveness. Here, the PSN guys here can easily be called in for meetings, or chatted to informally, but there is a thought that Runcorn is taking a bit longer, and so steps in Captain Warner to investigate. This is clearly not engineering, but very much focussed on management of contracts and HR. Will it be useful for me? I think it will give me a better idea of how things work/ don’t work and certainly it will build my business acumen as I delve into hours worked and Cost Value Reporting (CVR) by different offices. Some indications actually suggest that the engineering done there is better than here and that the only problem lies in the cost reporting: maybe all that is required is a restructure and better use of conference calls or Skype – most of us have webcams on our work laptops, after all!
Other bits – work
Courses completed this week include on-line and face-to-face Management of Change training, something that BP are very big on, having put a failure of Change Management down as a key factor in both the Flixborough and Grangemouth disasters. I can now start the procedure of affecting any process, plant or people changes on the system.
This week I also got to wear my PPE, as I watched a rehearsal for a crane lift of a piece of duct. Yes, really. This is one of Ish’s jobs that will get handed my way: taking off the old Low Pressure Booster Comressor (LPBC) stack off Magnus and replacing it with a new one. Every lift of anything <25kg is a big deal offshore, and as I understand it must be done using a crane or similar. People get very worried that if anything falls off the platform it may come to rest abruptly on some pipeline a hundred metres below, and we don’t want that!
Next week I am away on course all week, completing the 2-day Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) and 3-day Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) courses, which will finally allow me to go off-shore.
Other bits – not work
The cycle to work (70-mile round trip) is not pleasant with a headwind in the rain.
Running in the Cairngorms is awesome, no matter what the weather (last weekend). Scrambling in the Cairngorms is still ‘winter conditions’ as today proved, and outstanding.
And I’m getting to meet some of the local community: in my role of the incoming Adjutant, Capt Warner’s husband, I went for (Queen’s birthday) drinks yesterday at the Lord Lieutenant of Moray’s house and tipped my hat to the local MP, a retired General and various local dignitaries.
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 
Chris, The Runcorn Office is an interesting scenario is similar to what I have here where the design office is in Brisbane, 6 hours from site. It’s a trust issue more than anything else as to whether they are following the direction given or just going off along on their own merry way. The way I’ve tried to get around it is to meet the people in person…perhaps a visit to their turf could prove fruitful and improve overall understanding? (Plus it means you get out of Scotland for a brief respite!)
Absolutely, the Wirral will be a delight after my local pubs, which are something between my old Sqn bar in Hohne and The Cannon 🙂
Chris, surely cost reporting is accomplished via a dedicated software suite (pretty much instant availability of information), or are the Runcorn office completing their returns internally and then posting them to BP snail mail?
I think the CR is done (to PSN) electronically; the main suggestion is that it is not timely. I’m not in this week (on course – you’ll read all about it on Friday!), so investigations will begin in earnest when I’m back.
Let the hunt begin!