Shedding light on the Arctic. Also inside: Greenland, Stena Drillmax ICE, Avoid hull damage, Best practices in the Arctic
Text and photos: Magne A. Røe, except where otherwise stated.Date: 2009-09-15
Arctic challenges
The Arctic is defined as the area from the North Pole and southwards to the Polar Circle at 66º 33’ 38” North.
Petroleum exploration in the Arctic
A 2008 United States geological survey estimated that areas north of the Arctic Circle have 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil (and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids) in 25 geologically defined areas thought to have a potential for petroleum.
Future opportunities in Greenland?
Greenland is the largest island in the world and is located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Most of it is covered in ice and traditionally the shrimp fishing industry has been the leading source of income
Joint industry research to meet Arctic challenges
The new Arctic frontier presents substantial opportunities for oil and gas developments over the coming decades. The Arctic is also one of the most pristine environments left on our planet. DNV has a unique position and a corporate vision to work in partnership with the industry to ensure safe and sustainable developments within this iconic region.
Stena’s DrillMAX ICE to DNV Class
“DrillMAX ICE brings our total fleet to eight units. Our existing Stena fleet consists of four semi-submersibles, which are active offshore Norway, UK, Angola and Australia,” explained Tom Welo, CEO of Stena Drilling during a recent interview conducted by DNV’s Carl Arne Carlsen, head of Offshore Classification.
The ultimate tool to avoid hull damage in ice?
How do people on the bridge know that they are operating within the design limits of the hull?
Arctic Technology Course
With increasing maritime and offshore activity in the Arctic and other ice-infested waters, Ship Manoeuvring Simulator Centre A/S (SMSC) in Trondheim, Norway has, in close cooperation with DNV and other commercial partners, developed advanced mathematical models for the realistic visualisation of ice for real-time simulation.
Polar explorer joins DNV Research and Innovation
Knut Espen Solberg has rejoined DNV after ten years of exploring and researching the Arctic with leading Norwegian research institutions. His Arctic experiences are depicted in this photo reportage.
POLAR CLASS rules
The first edition of the Polar Class (PC) Rules, based on the IACS Unified Requirements for Polar Ships, was published in the January 2008 edition of the Ship Rules. The Polar Class notations cover design requirements for hull structure and machinery systems, and are intended for vessels operating Arctic or sub-Arctic waters during independent operation or with assistance from icebreakers.
The Polar Low pressure system
Description A polar low is a small, but fairly intense atmospheric low pressure system found in maritime regions, well north of the polar front. Its typical diameter is 100–500km and average life span is 18 hours. The polar low gives strong and rapidly changing winds and dense showers of snow or hail, and is generally more unpredictable than the larger and more common synoptic lows.
Developing best practices for Arctic offshore structures
OTC, Houston: In order to improve existing industry guidelines for the safe design of both fixed and floating structures in Arctic offshore regions, DNV is kicking off a new joint industry project. Several of the major oil and gas players have already committed themselves and a recommended practice for ice effects on offshore structures will now be developed.
Arctic Trends – increasing demands on Arctic seafarers
The Arctic has entered an exciting era where climate, political and economic changes are facilitating unprecedented access to the region, fuelling great expectations in the shipping sector. Yet navigating safely in ice-infested waters requires not only ice-strengthened and winterized ships, but also people skilled in operating in this challenging environment. Demands on seafarers are increasing due to the changing profile of Arctic shipping.
