"The Kulluk will remain onsite in the inner Kiliuda Bay until the conclusion of the Tanner Crab fishing season."

Immediately I thought, when I read that in the Unified Command news release email (see it below),  "How long is the Tanner Crab fishing season?"

It turns out to depend on how fast they get their limit - but according to the man in charge, probably five or six days.  

I called Mark Stichert, Shellfish Management Biologist,  Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries, Western Region.  The Western Region is Kodiak and to the west.

The season just opened at noon today, because of a gale which postponed yesterday's scheduled opening.

Mark said there were about 44 fishing vessels in the area.  The fleet was concerned that moving the Kulluk during the season there would be a strong risk of their gear being damaged.

He said crab pots had to be out of the water at night, so they are in during the day and most are collected in the late afternoon.  They call their reports into Mark's office so he can determine when to close the season. 

The season lasts until the fleet collectively get 520,000 pounds of crab.  He's not sure exactly how long that will take, but he thinks maybe five or six days.  Once the fish are delivered to the Kodiak processors, they'll check the receipts to confirm the called in reports.

So, for the next five or six days, at least, the Kulluk will stay in Kiliuda Bay. 

It was nice to talk to an official who clearly knew what he was talking about and was comfortable sharing his knowledge with a blogger. 



Here's yesterday's news update from Shell:

Update #41: Kulluk remains stable; Unified Command develops mitigation strategies for crab fishery

Jan. 14, 2013

Unified Command confirmed the following information today:

• The Kulluk remains in stable condition with no reports of a release.
• Data from the completed underwater assessment of the Kulluk continues to be analyzed.
• Unified Command has developed mitigation strategies collaboratively with the Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative. This will reduce potential impacts to the fishery during the upcoming crabbing season. Mitigation strategies include the following:
  • The Kulluk will remain onsite in the inner Kiliuda Bay until the conclusion of the Tanner Crab fishing season.
  • A Marine Coordinator will be onsite to coordinate the movement of response vessels. An update will be provided every four hours to the crab fishermen.
  • A claims process has been established for any crab fishermen losses that occur as a result of the Kulluk's presence in Kiliuda Bay during this year's Tanner Crab fishing season. 

• Unified Command’s priorities continue to be the safety of all personnel and the environment.  [emphasis added]

The Kulluk Salvage Is Apparently Over

The latest Kulluk Unified Command Update says that the 

"resources contracted specifically for the salvage operation are in the process of demobilizing."

I'm learning a lot about things I knew nothing about before Shell began drilling for oil in the Arctic.  Does this mean that the salvage stage is over?  The update (#36) says they are now doing assessment. I guess that must be different from salvage.  Time to look up salvage.  From Wikipedia:

Marine salvage is the process of recovering a ship, its cargo, or other property after a shipwreck. Salvage encompasses towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship. Today the protection of the environment from cargoes such as oil or other contaminants is often considered a high priority.
"Salvors" are seamen and engineers who carry out salvage to vessels that are not owned by themselves, and who are not members of the vessel's original crew. When salvaging large ships, they may use cranes, floating dry docks and divers to lift and repair ships for short journeys to safety towed by a tugboat. The aim of the salvage may be to repair the vessel at a harbour or dry dock, or to clear a channel for navigation. Another reason for salvage may be to prevent pollution or damage to the marine environment. Alternatively the vessel or valuable parts of the vessel or its cargo may be recovered for its resale value, or for scrap.

The International Salvage Union identifies different salvage situations from:

• Fire/Explosion
• Collision
• Grounding
• Breakdowns 

Grounding seems to be the kind of salvage operation the Kulluk had:

Grounding:   many salvage operations involve a response to vessel groundings. Some groundings occur in areas of great environmental sensitivity. The salvage team arriving at the scene must make a rapid assessment of the casualty’s condition and the potential for refloating without further hull damage and loss of cargo. In some instances, it is necessary to discharge part or all of the cargo, in order to free the ship. Much depends on the nature of the grounding site (sand, mud, rock, coral, etc), the extent to which the hull is aground, the degree of damage and a wide range of other operational factors, especially the weather. A forecast deterioration in the weather can have a major influence on the salvage strategy adopted.

Image from Unified Command Update #36

Now the Kulluk is 'safely' tucked away at Kiliuda Bay.  Blogger Phil Munger has been writing a lot about this at Progressive Alaska.  Phil knows a little more about these things than most bloggers because in a past life he's been the harbormaster at Cordova [Whittier.] Phil wondered why the Kulluk wasn't taken all the way to Kodiak.  Let me make some guesses.

• If there is a problem with leakage, they don't want to take it too far so they don't damage too  much area.  (The Update says, though, that there are no signs of leakage.)
• They can do what they are doing without being observed by very many people in Kiliuda Bay, while any reporter can fly easily to Kodiak.

That's the limit of my imagination on that question.  Here's the whole update:

DATE: January 8, 2013 1:45:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Unified Command
voice: (907) 433-3417

Update #36: Kulluk Remains Anchored, ROVs Arriving for Assessment

January 8, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command confirmed the following information today:

• The Kulluk remains safely anchored in Kiliuda Bay at its assessment position. There continues to be no sign of leakage in the vicinity.
• Support vessels will remain with the Kulluk during its assessment, while other resources contracted specifically for the salvage operation are in the process of demobilizing.
• Remote-Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are arriving at the Kulluk later today to begin assessing the hull. Divers will be deployed if necessary.
• Unified Command, along with local representation from Old Harbor Native Corporation, are surveying the area to obtain GPS coordinates that will enable the recovery of lifeboats and other debris from the Kulluk. Time and weather permitting, the team today will begin collecting debris from the shoreline.

Unified Command also released the map of the Kulluk’s final tow route (shown below), which shows the revised path avoiding the cod pots in the Gulf of Alaska.

A Flurry of Kulluk Updates As It Moves To And Then Arrives At Kiliuda Bay

A series of communications from the Kulluk Unified Command tell us that at 10:10pm last night the Kulluk was refloated from its stranded position and then towed  about 12 hours,  45 nautical knots, to Kiliuda Bay.  They held a news briefing at 10am in Anchorage.

Here are the 9 email alerts (one, not numbered, was about the news briefing)  I got:

DATE: January 6, 2013 11:30:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Unified Command
voice: (907) 433-3417

Update #27: Kulluk Refloated: Assessment to Follow

January 6, 2013
ANCHORAGE, AK: At approximately 10:10 p.m., the Kulluk drilling vessel was refloated from its Sitkalidak Island position.
Currently, the Kulluk is attached to the Aiviq by tow line.  The Kulluk is currently floating offshore while personnel are assessing the condition of the vessel.  Three additional tugs are on standby along with the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and two oil spill response vessels.  
“Following this initial step forward, we will continue to remain cautious while we assess the Kulluk’s condition,” said Martin Padilla, Incident Commander.  “We will not move forward to the next phase until we are confident that we can safely transport the vessel.”
There are currently more than 730 people involved in the response and recovery operation including local residents and a local on-site coordinator.  Following this stage of the operation there continue to be no injuries to response personnel.
Further information will follow.

DATE: January 7, 2013 1:50:00 AM AKST

Update #28: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013, Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 1:45 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.2 knots (4.8 mph)
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 16 miles from land 

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:35:00 AM AKST

Update #29: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013,
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 3 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.8 knots (5.5 mph)
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 19 miles from land
• The Nanuq crew, utilizing infrared equipment on board, reports that there are no initial signs of a discharge of oil in the water as of 2:57 a.m. 

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:35:00 AM AKST [While this is the same time as the last one, the email itself says it arrived a 4:47am and the update is as of 4am]

Update #30: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013,
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 4 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 3.8 knots (4.3 mph) and is traveling in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 16 miles from land.
• Results of soundings of fuel tanks taken since the Kulluk refloated are consistent with earlier soundings taken by the recovery crew.

DATE: January 7, 2013 5:35:00 AM AKST

Update #31: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 5:20 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.1 knots (4.7 mph) and is traveling in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately eight miles from land.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light, weather permitting.

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:00:00 AM AKST

Update #32: Unified Command Update

Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013:

• As of 7:30 a.m. Alaska Time, the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at approximately 3.5 knots (4 mph) in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 9.6 nautical miles away from the planned anchored location in Kiliuda Bay.
• The Nanuq crew continues to utilize infrared equipment on board and reports that there are still no signs of a discharge.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light to look for any signs of sheen, weather permitting.

The next one shows what happens when you don't check your email before you go for a run.  I totally missed the News Briefing.

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:43:28 AM AKST

Jan. 7 - Unified Command news briefing

What: A news briefing will be held at 10 – 10:30 a.m., Alaska Time, Monday, Jan. 7. Members of Unified Command will provide an update regarding the Kulluk Tow incident response.
Who:

• Coast Guard Capt. Paul Mehler III, Federal On-scene Coordinator
• Steven Russell, State On-scene Coordinator
• Sean Churchfield, Incident Commander and Operations Manager for Shell Alaska
• Duane Dvorak, Kodiak Island Borough, Local On-scene Coordinator
• Tommy Travis, Noble Drilling, Vice President of Operations U.S.

Where: The news briefing will be held at Dena’ina Center, Kahtnu Meeting Room 1, 600 W. Seventh Ave., Anchorage, Alaska 99501.
When: 10-10:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 7
Media representatives should meet at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Kahtnu Meeting Room 1 to be checked in with credentials before access is provided to the conference room. In addition, note that a mult box will be provided for broadcast media.

 I'm sure they were all pumped up because the Kulluk was on the move to safer water and there's been no sign of an oil leak.  

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:00:00 AM AKST

Update #33: Kulluk remains in tow

January 7, 2013, 9 a.m. Alaska Time
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013:

• As of 9 a.m. Alaska Time, the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at approximately 3.5 knots (4 mph) in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 4 nautical miles away from the planned anchored location in Kiliuda Bay.
• The Nanuq crew continues to utilize infrared equipment on board and reports that there are still no signs of a discharge.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light to look for any signs of sheen, weather permitting.

DATE: January 7, 2013 11:02:00 AM AKST

Update #34: Kulluk arrives safely at Kiliuda Bay, will undergo assessment

Jan. 7, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command has confirmed that the Kulluk, towed by the anchor handling vessel Aiviq, approached its safe harbor location in Kiliuda Bay at approximately 10 a.m., Alaska Time. The final location for assessment within the Bay will be determined by environmental conditions, including weather.
The Kulluk traveled 45 nautical miles since the start of the tow, roughly 12 hours ago. Average speed has been 3.5 knots or 4 mph.
The Kulluk was refloated from its Ocean Bay position, off Sitkalidak Island, late Jan. 6. It will remain connected to its support vessels while it undergoes assessment in Kiliuda Bay, located about 30 miles north of Ocean Bay.
The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley escorted the tow to Kiliuda Bay along with two oil spill response vessels and other support vessels. A 500-yard radius safety zone around the Kulluk followed the escort and remains in place in Kiliuda Bay.
Monitoring by the oil spill response vessels escorting the tow confirmed that there were no signs of a discharge of oil during the transit.
The combined fleet has 15,000 feet of boom should it be needed. Additional boom has been staged in various locations.
The Kulluk has been grounded since Dec. 31, after it broke tow during severe weather conditions.
Unified Command continues to coordinate with the Old Harbor Native Corporation to assist with any necessary cleanup activities. Additional spill response land resources have been staged in Old Harbor.
Yesterday afternoon, salvage teams successfully attached the main tow line to the Kulluk drilling unit.
The Salvage Master had the discretion to initiate the tow should favorable conditions occur throughout the night. At approximately 10:10 p.m., Jan. 6 the Kulluk was refloated.

The ADN story which says it was updated an hour ago - which should then include what happened at the news briefing - doesn't add much.  But another story by Rich Mauer has some interesting thoughts from others in the business about how things look.  The title sums the article up:  Kulluk's Ability To Take A Beating Impresses Experts.

[UPDATE 4:22pm AKTime]  One more update came through:

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:25:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Update #35: Unified Command confirms Kulluk is safely anchored

January 7, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command confirmed that the Kulluk has arrived in its final safe harbor location in Kiliuda Bay where it will undergo assessment. At approximately 12:15 p.m. Alaska Time the Kulluk’s anchor was lowered to the bottom of the Bay.
Unified Command also confirmed:

• Support vessels Alert, Lauren Foss and Corbin Foss remain connected to the Kulluk.
• The Aiviq has disconnected from the Kulluk but is standing by.
• A Coast Guard overflight today did not observe any sheen in the vicinity.
• The Warrior, Ocean Wave, Perseverance, Nanuq and Alex Haley are standing by.

Final safe harbor?  It's still a long ways from Seattle.  If Dutch Harbor couldn't service the Kulluk, surely Kiliuda Bay can't. 

Shell Has a Plan, But It's Not Available

At Saturday afternoon’s news briefing, Richard Mauer of the Anchorage Daily News asked Shell’s Alaska Operations Manager whether a copy of the Shell’s plan for the recovery of the Kulluk was available.  Sean Churchfield has been using phrases like "the plans are dynamic" and “subject to operational constraints” to explain why a plan wouldn’t be made available. 

I suspect others are thinking what I was thinking:  Do they really have a plan?  Then I remembered that somewhere on my computer I had a copy of their Ice Management Plan.  So I pulled it up.

Shell’s definition of a plan is probably a lot different from the everyday notion of a plan.  Most of us think of a plan as a series of steps that need to be taken to achieve a goal.

But, if the Ice Management Plan (IMP) is what Shell means by a plan, then their concept is not quite what most of us think of as a plan.  Here's one of the more concrete parts of that plan:


Shell Ice Management Plan Roles and Responsibilities Charts

This is only part of the IMP, but it was the part that actually said something somewhat concrete.  A lot of it is just description of their vessels and their 'philosophy' and such things that use up space but don't really give you anything you can get hold of or could hold them to. And there's also the COCP - (Critical Operations and Curtailment Plan).  I did a couple of posts on these plans last September.  So if you want to know what Shell means by a plan here are two posts that go into some detail about them:

As Shell Is About to Drill, What Do We Know About Arctic Sea Ice? 

Started with some UAF videos on Sea Ice Research that took me to Shell's Plans and went into some detail on the COCP and the IMP.

Become An Arctic Oil Expert in Just Ten Minutes a Day

More in depth on the IMP.  




What are some of the reasons they wouldn’t want to show their plan?

There isn’t anything written down that most people would recognize as a plan.
There is a plan but it’s pretty sketchy.
They don’t want to show anything that might expose them to any legal liability.

Any of those and all of those are good possibilities.  I’m guessing the last one plays a significant role in their decision not to share their plans.  Overall, the three news briefings I’ve heard (one on tape, one in person, and one by phone)  might be better described as damage control public relations.  Go out there and deal with the media, because you have to, but say as little as you can get away with.  And what you say should focus on how well the recovery is going.

All this leads me to start pondering what actually does the public need to know?  Let me think about that for a while and get back to you.


This is a crazy new world.  We landed in Seattle.  We ate some lunch and then I reluctantly plugged in the computer and checked the email only to find out there was a Kulluk news conference going on that very minute and I could call in.

So there at the airport I listened in.  Having been in the room Thursday made it a little easier to figure out who was talking. 

We're in LA now visiting my mom. 

Kulluk Unified Command PIO Explains How Stakeholders Can Connect

At Thursday's news briefing, there was discussion about wanting to be sure all stakeholders had access to the Unified Command structure working to safely recover the Kulluk from where it is grounded off Kodiak Island.

So afterward I asked Public Information Officer Amy Midgett how one would do this.  Below is the video in which she answers this.  She also clarified that although people from different agencies may use their agency title - such as PIO - she is THE PIO for the Unified Command. 
Sorry about the camera angle, I was holding it toward Amy, but not looking at the screen as we chatted. That's the State On-Scene Coordinator Steven Russell from the Department of Environmental Conservation to the right at the beginning.



If you are a stakeholder - someone who has an interested in this area - I'd encourage you to try to use their process to connect.  Amy sounds sincere enough in the video.  And if you can't connect, let me know.  But fisherfolk, people working on environmental issues in the area, birders, boaters, anyone with a stake in the area, should at least try their system.

That said, it doesn't look easy.  Despite what Amy said on the video, I can't find any telephone numbers on the website itself.  There was a list of tweets and in one of the tweets, I found this:

• Toll-free community number is 1-866-771-7910

Ask for a liaison and see if it works.

On the "Questions or Comments" page, there is a way to make contact, but you have to give them your first and last name, your email address, and perhaps other information.  (When I signed up for email alerts the other day, 'affiliation' didn't have an asterisk indicating it was required, but when I submitted it, it spit it back because I hadn't filled out affiliation.)

This is a very limited sharing of information to the public.  The public has to give up more information if they want to ask a question.  In comparison, the Alaska Redistricting Website was much more accessible. 

They tell us there are over 500 people working on this operation.  That's a lot more than the Redistricting Board had.  If they wanted better communication, or if they thought it was important, they could have it. 

Kulluk News Briefing 2: Video of the Q&A

This is the second part of the briefing - about 20 minutes of questions from the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch, AP, New York Times, Fisherman's News, local Fox TV, Kodiak Daily Mirror, some I didn't quite catch, and even GQ.  The video of the first part - the presentations - is here.





Hearing people's names wasn't always easy, especially when it was from the phone connections.  This is a brief overview of the questions and responses.  Numbers are approximate times on the video.

0:15 Daniel Joel, AP:  What's your greatest concern?

Mehler:  Safety.  No mention whether there were concerns about oil leaking, or the rig breaking up, or if the rig will be ok for next summer.  Just worried about the safety of the workers.   Churchfield agreed.

1:06 Alan Bailey (Petroleum News?),   What work is involved, timeline, until you have a decision on how to salvage this vessel?
Churchfield:  Currently in the assessment stage.  Don't want to speculate on what they'll find.  We have no timeline.

2:00 Susanna Caldwell (I think) of the Alaska Dispatch asked about the sucking noise that was reported in the hull yesterday, but Sean Churchfield insisted it was a breathing noise, that he didn't want to go into any detail, but they were trying to determine if it was a breach or just natural venting of the tank.

2:40  Mark ??? on the phone:  Hard to hear over the phone.  Any time line about when it might be towed from the shoreline.
Churchfield summarized findings from yesterday.  Some wave damage.  Some hatches breached.  Generators damaged.  Salvage team on board assessing.  No timeline yet.

4:08 Margie Bauman, Fisherman's News:  First she asked if Churchfield and Mehler's remarks could be posted because they were so hard to hear.  Why won't Shell's investigation be made public?
Churchfield said they would collaborate completely with the Coast Guard.  Mehler said there's would of course be public.  Their statements will be put on line.

5:30 Channel 2:  When does the rig have to be out of there so it won't impact the 2013 drilling season?
Churchfield:  I'll defer that, my focus is on the response.  Call Shell's public affairs office.

6:10 Natalie Travis, KTVA Fox:  What were the main concerns of the local Communities?
Duane Dvorak:  Work for Kodiak Island Borough, connecting the Unified Command to the community and bringing their concerns back.  Local knowledge is our biggest contribtution.
Travis:  Has there been one piece of local knowledge that really helped?
Dvorak:  Direct contact with communities.  Native organizations.  Culturally significant geographical places that the responders need to be sensitive to.  How this could disrupt subsistence life style.

8:40 Steve Heimel, KSKA:  What about Refuge Rock?
Dvorak:  Discussed massacre of Old Harbor Natives when Russian colonization occurred.

9:59  Rich Mauer, Anchorage Daily News:  How far is the ship from Refuge Rock and could the fuel if it leaked reach the rock?
Steven Russell:  It's a ways off and should be protected.  The locations aren't too public.
[Later Ty, also from DEC, clarified to me that the location of sacred Native sites were kept from the public.  This was not related to the spill.]

10:40 Tim Bradner, Alaska Journal of Commerce - What is the hold thickness? I heard about 3 inches?
Travis:  Have to get to the naval architect to respond.  It is a well designed ship.

11:40 James Brooks Kodiak Daily Mirror?:How is this going to affect the CG resources that normally work with the fishing fleet?
Mehler:  Commitment and obligation to Alaskans.  We have other air assets, Shell has been chartering various air assets.  We have to maintain search and rescue resources.  Heavy lift, but not beyond what we can do.

13:00 ? McKenzie, GQ:  How many are preexisting Shell resources and how many are new and how many total?
Churchfield:  We had oil spill response assets in Seward, contracted other sources, we are providing what we had and contracting.

14:50 Henry Fountain, NY Times:  Could you clarify, did you have salvage teams both yesterday AND today?  And how does damaged electrical affect salvaging?
Churchfield:  Five salvors on board yesterday.  Six today, and bringing another six.  Damage to the electrical systems means the salvage teams have to find another way or bring in generators.   

15:35 Rich Mauer, ADN:  Related to that.  Does that mean pumps on board Kulluk now can't be used?  How do the hatches become unsealed?  Didn't the crew seal the hatches before they left?
Tommy Travis:  Issue about electrical, that's a salvage issue, talk to them.  I haven't interviewed the crew yet so I can't say.

16:59  I even asked a question.  You can tell I'm the closest to my mic.  Since they were being very circumspect about what they said, I was wondering how they decide what to say.  I thought that Duane Dvorak, the Kodiak Island Borough official who's just joined the Unified Command, had said something about deciding what to make public.  Actually, when I saw the video, it turned out to be the guy from DEC, Steven Russell.  The answer from Captain Mehler was they don't tell us stuff they can't validate.  No standard operating procedures that this will be released and this won't I assure you.  Is this accurate?  Is this the correct information?   I should have followed up about whether attorneys play any role in what they say.  Are there considerations about future lawsuits?

19:17 ? Argus Media:   Can you tell us the extent of the damage?  I can't tell if the vessel is seaworthy or not.
Churchfield:  Second day with salvage team. Still gathering data.  I do not have a completed assessment to pass back to you.

Video of Presentations At Kulluk News Briefing Today In Anchorage

Here's the video of today's news briefing in Anchorage. I have previous post with photos.

The presenters are:

Sean Churchfield, Shell Alaska Operations Manager  and Incident Commander
Coast Guard Captain Paul Mehler, Federal On-Scene Coordinator
Steve Russel*, State On-Scene Coordinator (Dept. of Environmental Conservation)
Duane Dvorak, Liaison Consult, Kodiak Island Borough
Tommy Travis, Noble Drilling




 I'll put up the Q&A portion of the briefing as soon as I have it ready later tonight.  

[UPDATE:  Here's the Q&A video.]

Kulluk News Briefing - Anchorage January 3, 2013 - Video Soon

[UPDATE 8:05 - The first video is up here.][And the Q&A Video is here]

 I went to the Kulluk News briefing this afternoon at the Denaina Center in Anchorage.   Here's the announcement from my computer screen:
 








Here are the media gathered before it started in the Kahtnu meeting room.

There were also people listening via phone.  That was problematic because the mic was short and some of the speakers were tall.  They had to repeat two of the presentations because the people listening in couldn't hear.

This diagram of the Kulluk was up on an easel, but it was never used. 

This is Shell's Alaska Operations Manager Sean Churchfield.  He thanked the team and praised the work they are doing. 

Since I videoed the meeting, I didn't take notes and right now the video of the presentation is uploading so I can't listen to it.

I'll post it soon.  I didn't catch anything significant.

• More salvers [salvors] went on board today.  
• No one speculated on what could happen.  
• The rig is still upright and no sheen was spotted.  
• The electricity is out on the rig. 

A representative of Kodiak Island Borough, Duane Dvorak, is now on the Unified Command Team and spoke about the involvement of the people of Old Harbor Village.  They've agreed to operations to remove the rig.  There is also concern about sacred sites, including  Refuge Rock where many of their ancestors were slaughtered by Russians.

SITKALIDAK ISLAND, Alaska — In 208 years, a lot of history can be forgotten--the Russian cannon fire, the cries of women and children hurling themselves 100 feet into the sea, the defeat of a proud people.
All of these things happened at a small, raised buttress known as Refuge Rock near the village of Old Harbor. A Russian force, led by fur traders, conquered the Alutiiq of Kodiak Island, leaving hundreds dead.

If you look at the map closely, you'll see the Kulluk is off that same island - Sitkalidak Island.

The pin marks the spot of the Kulluk now. (Actually, no one said that.  I'm just guessing that's why it is there on the map.)

 Here's that same map, not quite as close showing the location of the Kulluk in relation to the City of Kodiak. 


The first video is still uploading.  I should get it up between 7pm and 8pm tonight.  Then I'll get the Q&A session done in a separate video. 

Shell's Kulluk Response: Look How Great We Are!

Shell has a huge oil rig adrift near Kodiak Island, Alaska being battered by high winds and waves. (NOTE - this is not unusual weather for Alaska in the winter.)  But Shell's response is like being at the funeral and talking only about how nice the flowers look.

Here's a press release from Shell yesterday (Jan. 1, 2013)

1.  "We deeply appreciate the professional and effective response of the responders from the U.S. Coast Guard, Shell, Noble, Edison Chouest and many other organizations who worked together seamlessly at sea and under extreme weather conditions to control the vessel, rescue the crew on board, and prevent injury and environmental impact.

The gist of paragraph 1: We were successful!

• "professional and effective response"
• "worked together seamlessly"
• "to control the vessel, rescue the crew on board, and prevent injury and environmental impact"

2.  "In the circumstances we faced over the last 4 days, we cannot underscore enough how significant it is to have weathered fierce winds and high seas with no more than two first aid cases."

The gist of paragraph 2:  We did great under terrible conditions

• In terrible conditions we only had two "first aid cases"

Note:  in the press conferece they said there were three people injured.  Also note that the weather in winter in Alaskan waters is more likely to be terrible than not.  This is NOT unusual weather.  Author Brian Garfield, writing in 1969 about World War II in the Aleutians:

"The conditions were war conditions - war with the enemy, war with the perpetual enemies of weather, water, and terrain." [Thousand Mile War p. 106]

Back to the press release:

3.  "The Kulluk successfully completed its role in supporting our 2012 Alaska exploration program several weeks ago and was en route to winter harbor, through waters off the southern coast of Alaska, when this incident occurred.   We have already begun a review - working with our marine experts, partners and suppliers – of how this sequence of events, including the failure of multiple engines on the MV Aiviq (towing vessel) led to this incident.  We intend to use lessons from that review to strengthen our maritime fleet operations, globally.    

The gist of paragraph 3:  Kulluk was a success and this is merely a learning experience so we can be more successful. 

• successfully completed its role
• headed to winter harbor
• incident occurred
• Review has begun
• with experts, partners, and suppliers
• sequence of events -including multiple engine failures on towing vessel - led to this incident
• Will use lessons from review to make our fleet stronger
•  

4.  "The incident did not involve our drilling operations, nor does it involve any possibility of crude oil release.  Through our role in the Unified Incident Command, we quickly mobilized experts to respond to this situation.  And, we can confidently say that the Shell emergency response assets and contingences that were deployed over the last four days represent the best available in the world."

The gist of paragraph 4:  This wasn't about drilling and we've got the world's best working on this.  We're confident!

• It wasn't our drilling operations
• No chance of crude oil release
• We quickly got the world's best experts

Could you tell from this that:

• Their drilling rig Kulluk broke loose from its towing vessels and had run aground on rocks south of Kodiak Island?
• That this was one more mishap in a series starting last year that delayed drilling for Shell?
• That there's  roughly 143,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of "other petroleum products on this now crewless oil rig being battered by winds and waves?
• 
  

Here's the Anchorage Daily News description.

Become An Arctic Oil Expert in Just Ten Minutes a Day

The Anchorage Daily News Tuesday reported that Shell has halted drilling on the Chukchi Sea.

Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith said drilling was stopped as a precautionary measure in accordance with its ice management plan. (emphasis added)

This isn't hard, but it is complicated.  Just give me ten minutes a day scattered over the next months and you can dazzle your friends and enemies with your knowledge of Arctic oil drilling. (I'm hoping I will figure some of this out too by the end of this exercise.)  I'm going to give you info in small chunks.  If by the next big oil spill, your friends aren't amazed at your brilliance, you'll get double your money back.  No questions asked. 

Today we're going to look at some charts from the Ice Management Plan (IMP).  I know, who wants to read charts?  Trust me, it's easier this way.  I'm just asking for ten minutes.  Surely you spent (or will spend) more than ten minutes today doing something something frivolous.  Now's your chance to balance your karma.  And enhance your self-worth. 


So, what's "in accordance with its Ice Management Plan" (mentioned in the quote above) mean? 



Here's the chart explaining the alert levels for ice warnings:

[The "T' (TIME) acronyms are explained in the right column of the second chart.]

Screen Shot from Ice Management Plan p. 9

	IMP ACRONYMS FOR CHARTS	TIME
VMT	Vessel Management Team. This team is headed by the Drilling Vessel Master and includes the Shell Drilling Foreman, Rig Superintendent, Drilling Vessel IA and the Chief Engineer.	MT	Move-off Time. The time required to clear decks on the anchor handler recover all anchors conventionally and move off the drill site in an orderly fashion.
IMV	Ice management vessel. Any ice class vessel tasked with ice management duties in support of the drilling vessel. This includes the primary ice management vessel (IMV) and the ice class Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS)	ST	Secure Time. The time required to secure the well, disconnect the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) from the blowout preventer (BOP), recover and secure the riser.
SIWAC	Shell Ice and Weather Advisory Center located in Anchorage. The center develops forecasts from various sources, and disseminates same.	T-Time	Total Time. The sum of ST + MT.
IMV Master	Ice Management Vessel Master	HT	Hazard Time. The estimated time it will take for hazardous ice to reach the drill site.
PIC	Person In Charge
IA	Ice Advisor	COCP	Critical Operations Curtailment Plan
AHTS	Anchor handling tug supply	LMRP	Lower Marine Riser Package

HTML Tables

The next charts can be seen clearly if you click on them.  You can see the the originals at pages 11 and 12 of the Ice Management Plan (pdf). If you read closely, you'll see this is mainly about who has what responsibilities.  It doesn't tell us much about what they actually do to shut down the well head and secure

Click to see clearly

Click to see clearly

I had a lot of trouble figuring out what exactly they did.  I kept reading vague language  and  phrases like "Commences securing well in accordance with agreed upon plan, informs VMT of progress."  But where's the agreed upon plan?

Finally in Attachment 4, we get some detail.  Presumably these are the things that needed to be done to shut down the well.

Attachment 4 – Well suspension Options and Contingencies
In all the following well suspension scenarios, the assumption is that a determination has been made by the Shell Drilling Superintendent, the Shell Drilling Foreman, the Drilling Superintendent, the Drilling Vessel Master and the VMT that a hazard exists and the well should be suspended. The Shell Drilling Foreman and the Drilling Superintendent in conjunction with the Shell Drilling Engineer and the Shell Drilling Superintendent will have analyzed the trip time, borehole stability, well control issues, operational parameters, depth of hole, and time available to decide upon the contingency steps most appropriate for well securement, and a detailed procedure will have been worked up. The Shell Drilling Foreman then presents the procedure to the BOEMRE Field Representative aboard the drilling vessel for comment and concurrence.
Well Suspension Scenario 1 – Mechanical Plugging
1.    After determining that the well should be suspended under the assumptions described above, the Shell Drilling Foreman orders the Drilling Superintendent to stop all normal drilling operations and to commence circulating the hole.
2.    The driller completes circulating at minimum a full “bottoms up.”
3.    The drilling assembly is pulled out of the hole and a mechanical packer suitable to the last casing or liner size is made up on the bottom of the drill string.
4.    The packer is tripped in the hole, set approximately 200 ft above the last casing or liner shoe depth and pressure tested.
5.    Depending on actual water depth, sufficient pipe is pulled to enable having the end of the string 200 ft above the top of the packer when hung off in the wellhead via the hang-off sub (HOS).
6.    A full-opening safety valve and an inside blowout preventer (BOP) are made up in the top of the drill pipe, and one additional joint is added above these valves. The HOS is installed in the top of this joint. (The full opening safety valve is left in the open position.)
7.    The HOS assembly is run in the hole on drill pipe to land the HOS in the wellhead bowl.
8.    The proper hydraulic fluid volume to actuate the BOP stack is confirmed by the Subsea Engineer and the system operating pressure is checked. Pipe rams in the BOP are closed on the HOS profile. The drill pipe is backed out from the HOS and the landing string is pulled from the riser. The blind/shear rams are closed and locked above the HOS. BOP failsafe valves are all left in the closed position.
9.    The master bushings are removed and the riser spider is installed.
10.    The diverter handling tool is made up and the diverter assembly is laid down.
11.    The riser landing joint is made up into the slip joint inner barrel. The slip joint inner barrel is collapsed and the inner barrel is locked.
12.    BOP stack functions are blocked, and the LMRP connector is unlocked.
Shell Offshore Inc.    41    May 2011
Ice Management Plan    Beaufort Sea, Alaska
13.    The LMRP is pulled off the top of the BOP with the block motion compensator and riser tensioners.
14.    Once the Shell Drilling Foreman has ascertained that the LMRP is released from the BOP, he advises the Drilling Vessel Master that he is free to initiate (or continue) mooring recovery and departure procedures.
15.    The drill crew and Subsea Engineer pull the landing joint to surface. The landing joint, slip joint and riser are then layed down and the LMRP is secured on deck.
16.    The Drilling Vessel Master confirms with the IA that the Ice Alert Level has reached “red” status (ice hazard is due to arrive within 6 hours of completing anticipated mooring recovery time). The Drilling Vessel Master advises the Drilling Superintendent to have the Subsea Engineer shear guidelines loose from the top of the BOP guideposts and to retrieve the lines to surface.
17.    The drill floor and moonpool area are cleared and inspected in preparation for mobilizing the drilling vessel.
18.    All decisions and supporting facts are recorded on the Daily Report and issued to the BOEMRE, SIWAC, and the normal distribution list.

This is just scenario 1. There are four more scenarios with different possible events. Actually Scenario 1 isn't what happened because they only started drilling on Sunday.  According to this video on the Shell website, the first drill is a small (8.5" drill bit) that is a test to see that there are no obstructions or no unexpected pockets of gas. This drill is supposed to go 1300 feet down.  You can watch the video yourself.

And Sunday's ADN confirms this is a pilot drill.

By 6:30 a.m. Sunday, crews had drilled more than 300 feet into the ground for a narrow pilot hole that will eventually be about 1,400 feet deep, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said. It's used to check for unexpected natural gas pockets, oil or obstructions before a wider hole is drilled.

With the Alert Levels chart in mind, I would note that Shell began drilling, according to the ADN,  at 4:30am Sunday and stopped on Monday.  Let's assume they stopped after 4:30am Monday.  That would be more than 24 hours.  If an ice hazard is more than 24 hours away, according to the Alert Levels, they should continue as normal.  But less than 24 hours away, they need to assess risk.   It's reasonable then to assume that they knew about the ice before they started drilling.  Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith is quoted as saying the wind shifted.

"The winds suddenly shifted and as far as we could determine, the ice could potentially impact our operations at that point," he said. The ice came within roughly 15 miles of the prospect, he said. It is moving at about .5 knots, or one-half a nautical mile per hour, he said. Shell is tracking the ice through satellite and radar imagery, and on-site reconnaissance.

They knew there was an ice pack not far away when they started drilling.  And sometime soon after they began drilling, the ice pack shifted its direction towards the drilling site.  Within 12-24 hours of the ice hazard's expected arrival time, they should be initiating risk assessments and making contingency plans.

They are under the gun here because they started late and, unless their September 24 shut down time is extended by the Interior Department, they've got less than two weeks to drill this year.  So, presumably they took a calculated risk and started drilling on the assumption the ice wasn't going to come their way.  The ADN article quoted above says they got 300 feet in the first two hours, but none of the articles said how deep they got when they stopped drilling.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/09/10/2619205/shell-halts-chukchi-sea-drilling.html#storylink=cpy

OK, I admit, that was probably more than ten minutes if you did this seriously. But I won't put anything up on this tomorrow. If you go through this three times, I think things will start to make sense. Writing this all down helps me figure it out, so maybe to you'll need to take notes.