Topsides In addition to the five super modules, there are seven structures mounted on the Topsides: Helideck Flareboom Main and auxiliary lifeboat stations Piperack Two drilling modules (M71 and M72) An intriguing architectural study of the Topsides, as seen from the North end. One of the five super modules, the wellhead module, was built at the Bull Arm construction site in Newfoundland. The other four super modules were constructed outside Canada (two in Italy and two in Korea) and shipped to Bull Arm in May and June of 1995 where they were welded together to form one integrated unit. On February 27, 1997, the 37,000 tonne Topsides was transferred from its assembly pier on two massive barges and towed across the waters of Bull Arm where, on February 28, it was mated with the Gravity Base Structure. Gravity Base Structure The GBS was constructed using high strength concrete reinforced with steel rods (rebar). Slipforming, a continuous process of placing rebar and pouring concrete, was utilized during construction of the GBS. It contains four shafts inside its strengthened external ice wall; the Utility Shaft, Riser Shaft and two Drill Shafts. These shafts are each 17 metres in diameter and extend a total of 111 metres from the base slab through the GBS roof to support the Topsides. The concrete teeth of the GBS are awash in sea water in this dramatic shot, which was taken on the M50 lifeboat deck. Utility Shaft The Utility Shaft houses the mechanical outfitting required to operate the platform, including pipework, heating and air conditioning and electrical controls. Riser Shaft The Riser Shaft contains four crude oil risers to export oil from the GBS to the Offshore Loading System, access stairs from top to bottom and fire water pumps. Drill Shafts The two Drill Shafts each house 32 drill slots to accommodate the wells which will reach depths of more than 3,700 metres below sea level into the oil reservoirs and up to 9,000 metres in measured length. Although there are currently more than 30 GBS platforms operating in the North Sea, none are designed to resist the impact of sea ice and icebergs. The Hibernia platform is unique because it has an ice belt that is 15 metres thick, including the external ice wall which is 1.4 metres thick. The 16 sharp points of the GBS ice wall, called teeth, are intended to distribute the force of an iceberg over the entire structure. Hibernia has a comprehensive Ice Management Strategy in place to prevent any such encounters. Prior to towout, the Hibernia platform weighed almost 600,000 tonnes. More than 400,000 tonnes of dry ballast were added after the platform was installed offshore. Offshore Loading System Oil is transferred from the platform to shuttle tankers via an Offshore Loading System (OLS). The OLS consists of subsea pipelines, a sub-surface buoy and flexible loading hoses. A second, completely redundant system has been installed as a back-up, in the event that the first system should ever require repairs. Once crude oil passes through the loading buoy into the tankers, it becomes the responsibility of the individual owners. The owners use three 127,000 dead-weight tonne tankers ("Kometik","Vinland" and "Mattea") with a cargo capacity of 850,000 barrels each to ship crude either directly to market or to a transshipment terminal located in Whiffen Head, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. The vessels are all equipped with two propellers driven by separate diesel engines, two high performance rudders and two bow thrusters. As an added safety measure, the tanker loading point is located 2 kilometres from the platform. The tankers are custom built for the North Atlantic operating environment. The shuttle tankers are 275m long, double hull and double bottom vessels with additional strengthening, especially at the water line. They have bow loading capability with the option of quick release from the OLS, if needed. Platform support Maersk Company Canada provides marine support to the platform through the use of multi-purpose platform support vessels. These vessels are certified by the Canadian Coast Guard as platform standby vessels and are equipped with firefighting capabilities. In addition, they have oil spill containment and recovery equipment mounted on board. One vessel is on standby at the platform at all times. A third vessel provides platform resupply and ice management support. It is equipped for iceberg towing operations. Hibernia Trivia Platform location: 46 degrees 45' 1.5722" north, 48 degrees, 46'58.5427" west Temperatures in the winter range from -8 degrees Celsius to 7 degrees above. Temperatures in the summer range can go as high as 20 degrees Celsius The ocean surface temperature varies from -3 degrees Celcius in winter to greater than 15 degrees Celsius in the summer Wind speeds average 37 km per hour in the winter and 22 km per hour in the summer. The Guinness World Book of Records calls the Grand Banks the foggiest place on earth. During winter, there is 40% coverage by fog and up to 84% during June and July.