Working Conditions Aboard the Shelf-Perseverance

On October 16, 2023, the 'Noble Hans Deul' jack-up rig made its way to the Port of Dundee, escorted by three tugboats and securely moored by 2 p.m. The rig had departed from its prior location on October 10 at 9 p.m., towed by the tugboats 'Multratug 3' and 'Multratug 18'. As of October 22, the rig remained in a stationary position at the port. An investigation into recent incidents revealed that a rescue vessel had collided with one of the rig's legs weeks prior to this situation, which ultimately led to halted operations at the IOG North Sea field.

On October 10, 2021, the offshore drilling rig 'Noble Hans Deul,' carrying a crew of 66, faced a mechanical issue concerning its port leg brace. The leg brace failed to lock in place, significantly impacting the rig's maneuverability at position 53°10.93'N, 002°05.82'E, approximately 32 nautical miles off the coast of Cromer. In response to the situation, the rig elevated its legs and retracted its anchors. The nearby support vessel 'Njord Viking' assisted in anchor recovery, while tugs 'Multratug 3' and 'Multratug 18' provided towing support to transport the rig to Dundee for necessary repairs. The tow operation commenced at around 9 p.m. following the incident. Notably, the 'Noble Hans Deul' had recently arrived at the Southwark field after successfully completing a production well at the Blythe platform. Fortunately, all crew members were promptly mustered and verified safe, with no reported damage to the rig's hull or the Southwark platform. Additionally, there were no ongoing drilling operations at the time of the incident, ensuring a smooth recovery process.