NTSB Safety Recommendation P-80-016

NTSB safety recommendation P-80-016.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD: REQUIRE COMPANIES CONDUCTING ANCHOR-HANDLING ACTIVITIES IN THE VICINITY OF SUBMARINE PIPELINES TO REQUIRE SPECIFIC INFORMATION AS TO THE LOCATION OF SUBMARINE PIPELINES AND OTHER KNOWN HAZARDS BEFORE CONDUCTING ANCHOR-HANDLING ACTIVITIES.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1980-03-13

Adopted Date: 1980-02-21

Overall Date Closed: 2001-09-19

Synopsis: ON JULY 15, 1979, 95 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) IN SHELL OIL COMPANY'S (SHELL) SOUTH PASS, BLOCK 62, FIELD, A 14-INCH SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY TRANSMISSION LINE OPERATING AT A PRESSURE OF 900 PSIG WAS SNAGGED AND RUPTURED BY A GRAPPLING HOOK FROM THE ANCHOR-HANDLING VESSEL PETE TIDE II, WHILE THE VESSEL WAS GRAPPLING FOR AN ANCHOR PENDANT FROM THE SEMISUBMERSIBLE DRILLING RIG OCEAN QUEEN. THE RESULTING EXPLOSION AND FIRE CAUSED THE DEATH OF TWO PERSONS AND INJURIES TO FOUR OTHERS. DAMAGE TOTALED OVER $1,500,000.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA79MP023

Report Number: PAR-80-01

Addressee Name: USCG

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2001-09-19

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2001-09-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: On May 30, 1988, Safety Recommendation P-80-16 was classified “Open—Acceptable Response.” In April 1987, the Coast Guard had advised the Safety Board that navigation safety regulations concerning chart carriage requirements had been revised as requested on September 29, 1983, and could be found at 33 Code of Federal Regulations 164.33. These regulations require each vessel in U.S. waters to carry current charts of the area transited; the charts must be of large enough scale and must contain enough detail to make safe navigation of an area possible. Also, they must be currently corrected with changes contained in all Notices to Mariners. Also, the regulations require a currently corrected copy or an extract from the U.S. Coast Pilot and Coast Guard Light List, and a current edition of or applicable extracts from the Tide Tables and the latest edition of the Tidal Current Tables. Because the Coast Guard has established a mechanism for all mariners that satisfies the recommended action, Safety Recommendation P-80-16 is classified “Closed--Acceptable Action.”

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1988-07-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 06/15/2001 4:36:09 PM MC# 2010504 Received a Memo dated 7-21-88 from Mr. Doug Rabe. He stated this is the USCG response on this issue. The 7-21-88 Memo reads: The Coast Guard’s position on this item is that the Navigation Safety Regulations chart carriage requirements that were revised on September 29, 1983, are sufficient action to close this issue. The Safety Board believes that the response by the USGS to the conduct of operations in the vicinity of existing pipelines and hazards is also germane to P-80-16. USGS was requiring such actions as hazard surveys, etc., before operations in these areas could be undertaken. The Safety Board said they would hold this item “Open—Acceptable Action” until they are informed of our efforts to work with the USGS to improve USGS’ Notice to Leases per Coast Guard letter of April 6, 1981. The comments in the April 6, 1981, letter only applied to Safety Recommendation P-80-17, not P-80-16. We have consulted with USGS and no further work has been done or is planned on their Notice to Leases. Please inform the Safety Board of this information and suggest that Safety Recommendation P-80-16 be closed.

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1987-04-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE COAST GUARD CONCURS WITH THIS SAFETY RECOMMENDATION. NAVIGATION SAFETY REGULATIONS CHART CARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS WERE REVISED ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1983 (33 CFR 164.33). THE NEW REGULATIONS REQUIRE EACH VESSEL IN U.S. WATERS TO HAVE CURRENTLY CORRECTED CHARTS OF THE AREA TRANSITED THAT "ARE OF LARGE ENOUGH SCALE AND HAVE ENOUGH DETAIL TO MAKE SAFE NAVIGATION OF AN AREA POSSIBLE." ALSO, THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE A CURRENTLY CORRECTED COPY OF OR EXTRACT FROM THE U.S. COAST PILOT AND COAST GUARD LIGHT LIST AND, A CURRENT EDITION OF OR APPLICABLE EXTRACTS FROM THE TIDE TABLES AND THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TIDAL CURRENT TABLES. THEREFORE, NO FURTHER ACTION ON THIS RECOMMENDATION IS ANTICIPATED.

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1980-08-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: USCG LTR: THE COAST GUARD CONCURS WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. EXISTING USCG REGULATIONS FOR SELF-PROPELLED MOBILE, OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS (MODU) (46 CFR 109.565)AND OTHER VESSELS (46 CFR 97-05-05) CALL FOR CHARTS, SAILING DIRECTIONS, LIGHT LISTS, AND OTHER NAUTICAL PUBLICATIONS NECESSARY. FOR A UNIT OPERATING IN ANCHOR-HANDLING, CHARTS OR SURVEY REPORTS WITH SUBMARINE OR OTHER KNOWN HAZARDS WOULD BE INCLUDED UNDER "OTHER NECESSARY NAUTICAL PUBLICATIONS." IN ORDER TO INSURE THE CLARITY OF THIS INTENTION, USCG WILL INTRODUCE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO MODU REGULATIONS WITH CLARIFYING LANGUAGE. USCG WILL PROPOSE THAT THE REVISED REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO ALL MODU'S AND OTHER VESSELS WHICH REQUIRE ANCHORING IN THE VICINITY OF PIPELINES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ON THE SEABED IN THE AREA WHERE A VESSEL IN OPERATING. AN NPRM WILL BE PUBLISHED BY JANUARY 1, 1981.

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1981-04-06

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: U.S. COAST GUARD LTR: THE COAST GUARD LETTER DATED AUGUST 7, 1980, ADDRESSED TO THE SAFETY BOARD CONCERNING THIS SAFETY RECOMMENDATION CONTAINED A TYPOGRAPHIC ERROR. THE ESTIMATED DATE OF PUBLICATION FOR THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING WHICH WILL DEAL WITH REQUIREMENT FOR THE CARRIAGE AND USE OF NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS DEPICTING THE LOCATION OF SUB-MARINE PIPELINES AND OTHER KNOWN HAZARDS PRIOR TO A VESSEL CONDUCTING ANCHOR HANDLING ACTIVITIES WILL BE PUBLISHED APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 1982. THIS REGULATORY PROJECT WILL BE A PART OF AN ANTICIPATED COMPREHENSIVE CHANGE TO THE MOBIL OFFSHORE DRILLING UNIT (MODU) REGULATIONS.

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1980-09-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1981-06-15

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: USCG

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1988-05-30

Communication Type: Official Correspondence