BG Group has awarded Aptomar a contract to provide field monitoring services at the operator’s Knarr field on the Norwegian continental shelf. As a result, Aptomar will establish a new marine control center in Trondheim, Norway.
Under the five-year contract, Aptomar will provide field monitoring services, including 24/7 monitoring of offshore traffic and safety zones to detect and track vessels on collision course with offshore assets. The company will also provide continuous monitoring and detection of unintended spills, and be a part of the 2nd line response team.
“Our objective is to deliver a cost-efficient and effective 24/7 field monitoring operation, being BG’s eyes and ears on the sea surface at any given time and providing a safe operating environment around the FPSO (pictured),” says Lars Solberg, chief sales and marketing officer at Aptomar.
To help safeguard the environment and BG’s people and assets at the Knarr field, and as a response to operator’s request for extended field monitoring services, Aptomar will establish a new marine control center at the company’s headquarter in Trondheim, Norway. The staff consists of master mariners and professionals with extensive maritime and nautical competence. As a result of winning the BG contract, six more staff will be added to Aptomar’s team.
“We have invested in our second marine control center in Trondheim as a response to numerous oil companies who want the industry to take a broader, more systematic approach to field monitoring. We are combining 24/7 competence and monitoring capacity, with robust detection and an efficient and controlled emergency response management. Our new 24/7 service approach reduces time, investments, and cost for the oil companies, and the collaboration with BG demonstrates that we have successfully delivered on their request,” says Lars Solberg.
Delivering on the Knarr contract, the center’s trained operators will monitor, communicate and collaborate with onshore and offshore assets – including the Knarr FPSO, the ERRV M/S Torsborg and the Knarr PSVs – as well as NOFO and the Norwegian Coastal Authority, using the latest in remote sensing and data processing technology.
The technology and tools that form the basis for the marine control center include radar-based object tracking systems, AIS (automatic identification system) vessel tracking and Aptomar’s TCMS – a tactical collaboration and management system for oil spill detection and combating, search and rescue and fire fighting. The company will also tap into aerial and satellite radars and cameras, wind and weather data, on-site radars and communicate with offshore assets via VHF radio to secure a safe operating environment.
BG’s Knarr oil and gas field is at 400m water depth in production license 373S of block 34/3 in the northern North Sea. BG is the operator of the field with 45% working interest. Partners include Idemitsu Petroleum Norge (25%), Wintershall Norge (20%) and DEA Norge (10%).
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