First ever in the World, dynamic positioning operations in ice were performed in the offshore Sakhalin, May - June 1999. The dynamic positioning operation in ice, in support of compression diving, was performed by CSO Constructor, a type B ice class vessel. The operation was supported by two icebreakers; Smit Sakhalin and Magadan. The ice operation was managed by an ice management team, which developed for this operation specific ice management techniques based on offshore ice operational experiences in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. The operation lasted six weeks in the presence of widely varying ice conditions, including, in several occasions ten tenths of ice cover and ice pressure. Basic level ice thickness varied in the range of 0.7 – 1.5 meters. The total ice down time was 22 %. During the worst ice conditions, around mid May, considerably higher percentage ice down was experienced. The operation was performed safely, on schedule. These operations, preparations for them, equipment used, ice and environmental conditions, operational procedures followed as well as the operational success are presented in this paper.
As part of development of oil production by Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, for the Piltun Astokshkoye field, a construction operation was performed May 9 - June 20, 1999. The construction was required to enable fast oil production from this field in the beginning of July, 1999. The construction was mostly underwater, containing completion of pipeline, raising and completing installation of a SALM buoy, various repairs as well as testing the oil pipeline and tanker loading components of the system. The work was performed by divers, from a dynamically positioned (DP) vessel m 30 meters of water. Figure 1 shows location site map, offshore North East Coast of Sakhalm Island, app. 53° 20' North and app. 134° East.
