Not everyone at ONGC loves Sea Stallion-1
Some at ONGC are backing the move, but others are angry the company wants to use speed boat Sea Stallion-1 for offshore crew transfers.
Among them is George Ravi Shekeran, president of the ONGC Officers Association (OOA). On April 7 (2024), Shekeran wrote to production director Pankaj Kumar about the potential safety hazards of speed boats for offshore crew transfer.
Shekeran points to an April 5 (2024) 40-member team visit to the Neelam field that included western offshore basin executive director C Mathavan and Neelam field asset manager UK Rana. Only helicopters should be used to transport crew to offshore locations, believes Shekeran.
According to the three-page letter, rough seas allowed only six ONGC employees and two crew from the speed boat to exit the vessel. Sea Stallion-1 neared the Neelam platform at 1.30pm, and the first person exited only at 2.45pm, it says.
"Almost 75 minutes passed before the crew could secure the hydraulic ramp of the boat to the Neelam landing area." In its complaint, the OOA provides a litany of potential hazards: fibreglass speed boats are lightweight and prone to continuous rolling and pitching; exiting the boat takes almost as long as travelling from shore to the platform; the boat's hydraulic ramp is "highly unreliable" and was damaged after its tip hit the Neelam landing; carrying luggage when using the ramp to exit or board the boat is impossible; high risk of personal injury, including loss of a limb if it gets stuck between the ramp and stairs of the boat landing.
"Crew safety is paramount," said the letter. "And it is imperative that we take proactive measures to mitigate risks associated with offshore (crew) transfers."
Management should conduct a "thorough review of our crew change procedures and consider alternative transportation options keeping in view safety of life." Going further, the OOA calls on ONGC to conduct a "comprehensive risk assessment of the crew change process, considering factors such as weather conditions, sea state, vessel condition and crew competency."
All personnel involved in crew changes should receive training in emergency procedures, safety equipment use and proper vessel handling, believes the OOA.