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USCG recommendations over Kulluk grounding
As part of the report from its investigation of the 2012 grounding of Shell’s Kulluk floating drilling rig, the U.S. Coast Guard has made several recommendations for actions that might prevent a similar disaster from happening in the future.
At the top of the list comes a recommendation that the Coast Guard commandant should partner with the Towing Safety Advisory Council to form a working group to develop a “task statement” addressing concerns relating to the Kulluk incident, including the issues that the incident has raised and the towage of offshore drilling units in an Arctic marine environment.
The report also recommends that the U.S. Coast Guard should review its towing capabilities, to evaluate any appropriate upgrades to the towing equipment on the agency’s cutter fleet — one issue identified in the report was the inadequacy of the towing capabilities of some of the vessels that went to the assistance of the Kulluk after the original tow of the drilling rig ran into difficulties.
Policies, guidance and procedures The report also recommends that Shell and any other entity planning marine operations in an Arctic marine environment should develop policies and guidance for these operations, and that marine companies intending to work in the Arctic should re-evaluate their operating procedures for vessels plying the Gulf of Alaska or similar environments.
Edison Chouest Offshore, the company operating the Aiviq, the vessel that was towing the Kulluk, should ensure critical fuel management and towing procedures are included in the Aiviq’s safety management system; the company should establish levels of competency and training requirements for the Aiviq’s masters and mates when engaged in towing; and the company should work with the Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping to address all potential Aiviq design deficiencies, the report says.
—Alan Bailey
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