Projects

Metocean demobilisation project, Nicaragua

Coordinating Metocean field work is logistically complex at the best of times, especially for international projects. Throw in a global pandemic and the situation is ten times harder - careful consideration is required during planning to ensure both the HSE of personnel, and the commercial viability of the project for the client.

Stage one complete

Two years ago, RPS deployed a surface buoy and three sub-surface moorings on behalf of Equinor to measure metocean parameters at a potential development site. This stage of the project is now complete, and as such we needed to head back to Nicaragua and out to sea to demobilise the equipment.

Working closely with our clients on multiple international field work programs, and referencing the best available COVID-19 guidelines, we have developed several novel solutions for coordinating these complex programmes of work.

In this case, the strategy we employed was to find economical vessel solutions. This meant identifying alternate mobilization ports where we knew the HSE risks associated with COVID-19 could be more adequately managed. Some additional costs associated with using these ports were incurred, but these were offset by providing the client credits on cost savings for equipment and personnel mobilisation associated with the alternate port.

Best laid plans

If we’ve learned anything this past year, even the best laid plans can be turned upside down overnight. Agile thinking and a desire to work together to find pragmatic solutions is at the core of our brand. In this case, and for many other projects this past year, we have been able to identify alternative solutions to coordinate, and deliver complex field programs while ensuring the safety of personnel, and minimising the commercial risk to our clients – delivering our promise of making complex easy.