tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:13:21 +0000http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Matt)Blogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-2566952073129363283Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:46:00 +00002007-07-26T09:55:01.538+10:00Key DemographicsI'm home now, so will post some bits and pieces about the trip back once I have caught up with all the fun things that have to be done after one has been away for 2 months.I thought I'd just have a look at the page stats to see if anyone has actually been reading this since I haven't updated it in a little while. Sure enough people are, so had better put something worthwhile to http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/key-demographics-im-home-now-so-will.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-6198775666936520726Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:38:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:49.954+11:00Dave's Trendy CutsAll the grown ups went across to the Safe Bristolia the other day for a big powow on the permit to work. Shell had seemingly taken the stance that if they dont allow anything to happen then nothing can go wrong. Though it has all been sorted now, and we are working away (sort of). The unfortunate thing was that while they were onboard their crane broke down which meant they werehttp://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/daves-trendy-cuts-all-grown-ups-went.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-6854991773924691345Sat, 14 Jul 2007 04:08:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:50.186+11:00GeostandbyWe are back doing what we do best here. Standing by. Thankfully though it's not out delay, the it is probably best described as Shell arguing with itself in the name of safety. Even though there are countless meetings and procedures put in place before the job happens to organise how its all going to happen, it has still ended up a bit of a mess. So although we have all the procedures http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/geostandby-we-are-back-doing-what-we-do.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-8299107692949456167Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:27:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:50.381+11:00Back into the fog again.After the 'excitement' of the previous couple of days, we have had a quiet few doing a little ROV survey down at LUN-A. It kept us busy while the Accomodation barge moves into position up at PA-B, and while we try and put the crane back together. Somehow, they have managed to turn around what was a certain port call (to repair the crane), in to us being fully operational http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/back-into-fog-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-3998674069988895782Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:30:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:50.665+11:00Red Light - ie we're screwedJust as I was about to sit down and but some nice photos up and blog a little yesterday a funny thing happened. Well, actually not much of it was funny at all. We ended up having the single worst failure you can have on a Class 2 DP ship. Class 2 meaning that there is basically two of everything so if one fails, no one dies. So we have 2 power buses supplied by 2 http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/red-light-ie-were-screwed-just-as-i-was.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-452379442988097149Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:34:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:51.048+11:00The Float Over.....and we missed it.Just a quick one because its time for bed, but the big event that we were all looking forward to seeing has happened, and we didnt get to see it!We just finished up doing our dive as they moved in with the barge, and were told to move 1000m away, then 2000m, then 5 miles, then the client that we'd go back to LUN-A. So unfortunately I didn't get to see the http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/float-over.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-3353610157764812788Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:03:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:51.508+11:00Hoons at PA-BThe float over is due to happen today, so we should be standing by off the platform watching which will make a nice change. The last few days have been fairly hectic with plans changing every 5 minutes. It hasn't made for the most well planned operation, but then again Geosubsea are professional cowboys at the best of times.There were a few more FRC runs during the week too. As we http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/07/hoons-at-pa-b-float-over-is-due-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-6140821715443155154Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:57:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:51.736+11:00PA-B TopsideAfter a fairly well stuffed up crew change, (hope mine goes better in 3 weeks time) we left LUN-A this morning are just about at PA-B. As we approached the site we passed the much talked about topside barge that will float over the concrete base in the next few days. At 28,000 tons its the largest float over ever attempted. There is still enough light at 10PM for photos! It doesn't http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/pa-b-topside-after-fairly-well-stuffed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-1809268667902158585Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:12:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:52.035+11:00We're Diving!......um no, we're not.There is so much to write about at the moment, it has been a pretty eventful 24 hours. So I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning.Yesterday went fairly quickly, we were still standing by while the dive technicians set up the life support package on the standby vessel. Basically its some reserve gas, a chiller and a heating unit to plug into http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/were-diving.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-6851594980564128872Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:10:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:52.046+11:00Lunskoye-AJust a quick photo to show that we have arrived. No puffins yet, though keeping an eye out. There has already been a few boat transfers (photos tomorrow) and some typical Russian insanity (asking the standby boat to hit the platform!) (seriously) (and have photos!)More tomorrow.http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/lunskoye-just-quick-photo-to-show-that.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-8856436915748630367Thu, 21 Jun 2007 06:44:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:52.621+11:00So I've become a diver......We are still at anchor off Kholmsk, waiting for the Russian Government to approve our departure to the field. The piece of paper that needed to be signed in Moscow has actually been signed, and sent to the Deputy of the Sakhalin Border Guards, who in turn has sent it to the Kholmsk Border Guards, who will check the crew lists, stamp the passports and stand on the wharfhttp://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/so-ive-become-diver.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-3315883653632625153Sun, 17 Jun 2007 06:46:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:53.446+11:00Still Waiting Well I had been waiting for something exciting to happen, but well, a week or so has gone by and we are still waiting. The latest word is that we should get approval from the Russian Government to sail to the field on Wednesday, "maybe". The closer we get to Wednesday, the more people emphasize the maybe. So we have been sitting at anchor for the last few days. We did have to pickhttp://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/still-waiting-well-i-had-been-waiting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-286434587442795324Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:43:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:53.880+11:00WaitingWell, not too much has happened this week. So much for rushing up here because the ship wasn't going to be in port on Monday! That was Monday last week, and we are still here, though we have had a slight change of scenery at anchor, just off the Port of Kholmsk.We are waiting for a signature. Well it's not just us, but every non-Russian flagged vessel that is involved in this project. http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/waiting-well-not-too-much-has-happened.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-5039692262696546943Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:31:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:54.806+11:00SAT AirlinesWhen someone asks what I do, there is inevitably a pause where I decide to give them the short version, or the long version. Either way I don't think anyone really gets it straight off; Its just one of those jobs. It kind of like when I ask Meg what it is she is actually doing at CSIRO, I get that its to do with fish and breeding, but the concept of identifying and isolating DNA and http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/sat-airlines-when-i-someone-asks-what-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-2156410309630908909Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:03:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:55.072+11:00IceNot the type you can buy in Melbourne for $25, but big sheets of the stuff around the platform we are supposed to be going to. The topside package left Ulsan in Korea yesterday and will take about 2 weeks to arrive at PA-B. The worry is that the ice will still be around so, a) they wont be able to do the prep work for the package and b) they wont be able to float the package over. Here's a http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/ice-not-type-you-can-buy-in-melbourne.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-894534563007922451Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:12:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:55.557+11:00Sun! In Russia!Well it is summer after all. The fog cleared today by about lunch time and warmed up to a tropical 19 degrees, so I ducked out this evening and took some more photos seeing as the light was better.By popular demand, there is even a photo of me!The seriously rusty ship on the other side of the wharf from us was apparently bought by a woman in Moscow who has too much money. She went http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/sun-in-russia-well-it-is-summer-after.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-2053147462165045462Sun, 03 Jun 2007 05:21:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:55.888+11:00Back in Russia - KholmskI arrived on board yesterday evening, greeted by the murky greyness of Kholmsk.The first 24hrs have been pretty interesting - Woke up to find out there had been a fairly major skirmish up the road between some of the divers and the local mafia. Full report later. As we were dealing with the fall out from that, the gantry crane ashore moved along the wharf and took out somehttp://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/06/back-in-russia-kholmsk-i-arrived-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-2117467192045302077Fri, 06 Apr 2007 05:56:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:56.270+11:00Hot cross buns for breakfast today, surely a breakfast of champions. It has been fairly quiet so far, but the day has been broken up nicely with a few FRC runs into the Cargo Wharf and one all the way down to Mermaid Supply Base. Its not too bad a day for a quick fang around, 36 degrees, no clouds and about 18 knots of wind. Being a public holiday there are plenty of fishing boats around too, http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/04/hot-cross-buns-for-breakfast-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-7736048375679208169Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:15:00 +00002007-04-06T01:22:54.282+10:00Another break in the blog unfortunately, we had a problem with the communications system on board over the last week. All our gear was fine, but the satellite we use was 7 degrees out of position. As far as problems go, you would have to think that having a satellite in the wrong place is fairly up there. Anyway, its fixed now, though I have been pushing the friendship by trying to up load 40Mb http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/04/another-break-in-blog-unfortunately-we.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-7301028226442855209Tue, 27 Mar 2007 05:21:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:56.569+11:00Well we're sitting down in Exmouth Gulf doing laps back and forth. We'll probably go onto DP this afternoon and just sit and wait. There are about a dozen other ships in here stooging around, so it must have been a popular choice to come down here and hide. It's certainly better than where the Venturer headed. They went NNW to try and get around the back of it, the only problem being that the http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/well-were-sitting-down-in-exmouth-gulf.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-5920275491860348351Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:36:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:56.675+11:00Hi Guys,We headed out of Dampier this evening and came down through Mermaid Strait. We're sneaking down underneath Barrow Island tonight and should be out into Exmouth Gulf tomorrow. The photo above is of the cyclone moorings in Mermaid Strait. Most of the small barges and habour boats moor here and sit it out. Unfortunately we're a little too big for that, though they probably don't have sat http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/hi-guys-we-headed-out-of-dampier-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-6227124462394738705Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:30:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:56.907+11:00We're just about to depart King Bay Supply Base, just getting the last few things on board. Needless to say, the cyclone is going to come pretty close to Karratha, and what started out as a Cat 1 or 2, is now forecast to be Cat 4 by tomorrow. The Habourmaster has been calling and asking politely when we are leaving as most of the other boats have already headed out.Once we get away we'll be http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/were-just-about-to-depart-king-bay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-767954877235550515Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:23:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:57.028+11:00Hi Guys,The internet has been up and down over the last week so I haven't been able to add anything to the site until now. Of course, now we have the internet back, the phone has dropped out. It seems that you truly can't have it all.There was a big storm back towards Karratha the other night, but the weather out here has been fantastic all week and we have almost finished our work with Woodside.http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/hi-guys-internet-has-been-up-and-down.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-5027664568564973001Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:33:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:57.201+11:00...and you thought your rent was expensive.http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31732885.post-3159452566044504590Mon, 19 Mar 2007 02:16:00 +00002008-11-13T17:41:57.399+11:00Back to WorkWell it had to happen eventually, 6 weeks of work. Thankfully it doesn't look to stressful here. :) I managed to get across to Perth on the earlier flight (I even managed to get my business class upgrade!), and met up with Rog, who flew in the night before from Norway. A few quiet Little Creature Roger's at the Belgian Beer Cafe, across to Northbridge to the Brass Monkey for dinner, http://mattbarney.blogspot.com/2007/03/back-to-work-well-it-had-to-happen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Matt)3