OPERATIONS
Offshore Industry and Vessel Types
BASE KNOWLEDGE · public sources
OBJECTIVE Name the main offshore vessel types, say what each one does, and explain why many of them use dynamic positioning.
Offshore oil, gas and wind fields need many kinds of vessels: to supply platforms, handle anchors, build and repair subsea equipment, lay pipelines and cables, support divers and ROVs, carry wind-farm technicians, survey the seabed and drill wells.
Much of this work happens close to platforms, turbines or equipment on the seabed, where the vessel must stay in one place or follow a slow, exact track. Dynamic positioning (DP) does this with thrusters instead of anchors.
iSYSTEM CONTEXT
For every vessel type ask three questions: what is it doing, what is it close to, and what happens if it loses position?
IN ATLAS
Afterwards, pick two vessel types and say what would happen if each one lost position during its work.
Sources (public)
- Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Marine Technology: Offshore support vessels (OSVs)
- Marine Insight: Types of ships with dynamic positioning systems
