Key Considerations Related to the Use of Support Vessels for Personnel Evacuation from Offshore Structures in the Beaufort Sea

A Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) study has recently been completed that identifies key considerations associated with the use of support vessels for in-ice personnel evacuation from offshore structures in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. As part of this work, a logic framework was developed to help with assessments of the “do-ability” of any particular support vessel evacuation approach for given scenarios, with the intent of systematically recognizing and addressing all of the important factors involved. Some of the main points made in this study are briefly summarized as follows: (1) In most in-ice situations, a direct ship-based personnel evacuation approach may well be preferred for many offshore structures; (2) The success of any ship-based Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER) approach is highly dependent on the capabilities and features of the support vessel(s) involved, and also on the geometry of the structure; (3) The presence of any grounded ice rubble around an offshore structure is a constraint that will typically make any ship-based EER approach impractical; and (4) Strategic and tactical assessment procedures can be developed to assess the likelihood of success of particular ship-based EER approaches for structures in ice. This paper is intended to highlight the range of considerations that were addressed in the report, and to outline some of the key aspects of the work.