Tideland provides Kittiwake platform with LED light stations

Tideland Signal has supplied Petrofac, the Duty Holder and Operator of the Kittiwake platform on behalf of EnQuest, with Syncrolan LED light stations and fog signals to mark the Kittiwake platform in the central North Sea 160km north east of Aberdeen.

The Tideland warning systems for Kittiwake include LED main and secondary lights, fog signal and LED subsidiary lights with both central controls and a remote control panel, all supported by back-up batteries housed in an Ex-rated battery box. Tideland’s Syncrolan light stations consist of an MLED-180HI EX LED main light with a range of 15 NM and an MLED-150 EX LED secondary light with a range of 10 NM plus an MLED-150EX red subsidiary light.

The Syncrolan AB-68 fog signals are fitted with dual ECU 800 units, one on duty and one on standby, generating a Morse U character and providing 2NM coverage as main and 0.5NM coverage as secondary audible warning. The usual range is two nautical miles, audible through 360 degrees, but any two drivers are sufficient to meet the backup range requirement 0.5NM. The fog signals are linked to an EX-Sentry fog detector, allowing full automatic operation and changing from duty to standby as required. The fog detector activates the fog signal automatically when visibility falls below a pre-set norm.

An explosion-proof enclosure houses a wall-mounted charger, DC distribution and the central monitoring panel provides monitoring and alarm indications including light failure as well as low voltage and charger alarm. Tideland has also supplied a remote monitoring panel which allows all the elements of the package to be controlled remotely in the event of severe weather, maintenance periods or other eventualities.

Safety of operation in the presence of a flammable atmosphere is assured by the fact that Tideland supplies only fully certified Hazardous Area Equipment designated as suitable for use within a Zone 1, hazardous area.

Tideland’s MLED-180 lantern offers minimal maintenance requirements and an expected service life in excess of 25 years on station in the most demanding environments. Long-life LEDs and high-integrity electronics are employed to maximise reliability and minimise maintenance.

The Kittiwake platform at the centre of the Greater Kittiwake Area is operated by Petrofac and jointly owned by Enquest and Dana. Since its acquisition in 2005, production efficiency has increased by more than 50%. The area has been developed using a fixed steel platform on the Kittiwake field with the other fields being developed as subsea satellite tie-backs to the Kittiwake platform. Oil used to be exported using tanker loading but since 2007 has been exported via the Forties pipelines system. Any gas not used for production purposes is exported to St. Fergus through the Fulmar gas line.