Experts Board Grounded Kulluk Off Alaska

January 3, 2013

A team of six salvage experts boarded the grounded drilling unit Kulluk, off Alaska, yesterday to conduct a structural assessment to be used to finalize salvage plans, currently being developed by the Kulluk Tow Incident Unified Command.

The six-member team was lowered to the Shell-operated Kulluk by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter at about 10:30 yesterday. The assessment lasted about three hours. A helicopter safely hoisted the team from the drilling unit at about 1:30 p.m. The Coast Guard helicopter and crew also delivered a state-owned emergency towing system to the Kulluk, which will be used during salvage operations.

To remind, the drilling unit grounded on the southeast shoreline of Sitkalidak Island, Alaska on December 31, 2012.

Efforts to place a team on-board the rig to conduct the assessment were put on hold due to severe weather conditions over the past several days. Calmer conditions yesterday morning created a window that enabled the assessment to take place, Shell has explained.

Smit Salvage is heading up salvage operations. Smit is a highly experienced salvage company that has assisted in hundreds of operations worldwide, including the Selendang Ayu salvage that took place off the coast of Western Unalaska in 2004. It also assisted in the Costa Concordia salvage off the coast of Italy in 2012.

“The information gained from the on-site assessment will be invaluable in helping to evaluate the available options for freeing the rig from its grounded position,” Shell said in a press release.

Following the completion of their mission, the assessment team was returned to Coast Guard Air Station/Kodiak.

Kulluk Drilling Unit Runs Aground in Alaska

VIDEO: Shell’s Kulluk Drilling Unit Runs Adrift in High Seas Off Alaska

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January 3, 2013