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Kigoriak

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Canada
NameCanmar Kigoriak
OwnerDome Petroleum
OperatorCanadian Marine Drilling
BuilderSaint John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,Saint John, New Brunswick,Canada
CostC$25 million
Yard number1132
Laid down5 April 1979
Launched28 July 1979
Completed4 September 1979
In service1979–1997
FateSold in 1997
Liberia
NameKigoria
OperatorInternational Transport Contractors
Port of registryMonrovia,Liberia
In service1997–2003
FateSold in 2003
Russia
Name
  • Talagy(Талаги) (2003–2010)
  • Kigoriak(Кигориак) (2010–2022)
OwnerFEMCO Group
Port of registryKholmsk,Russia
In service2003–2022
Identification
FateSold for scrap in 2022[2]
General characteristics
TypeIcebreaker,AHTS
Tonnage
Length90.7 m (298 ft)
Beam
  • 17.25 m (57 ft) (moulded)
  • 19.25 m (63 ft) (reamers)
Draught8.5 m (28 ft) (maximum)
Depth10 m (33 ft)
Ice class
Installed power2×Sulzer12ZV40/48 (2×8,700hp)
PropulsionSingle shaft;controllable pitch propeller
Speed13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Crew18 (accommodation for 22 crew and 12 passengers)

Kigoriak(Russian:Кигориак) was a Canadian and later Russianicebreakinganchor handling tug supply vessel.Built bySaint John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock CompanyforCanadian Marine Drilling(Canmar) in 1979 asCanmar Kigoriak,she was the first commercial icebreaking vessel developed to support offshore oil exploration in theBeaufort Sea.

When Canmar's icebreaker fleet was sold in 1997, the vessel's name was shortened toKigoriaand she was reflagged toLiberia.For the next six years,International Transport Contractorsused the icebreaker mainly for ocean towage and salvage operations in theAtlantic Ocean.The vessel changed hands again in 2003 when she was sold to her current owner,FEMCO Group,and renamed firstTalagy(Russian:Талаги) and, in 2010,Kigoriak.

After more than four decades of service,Kigoriakwas sold for scrap in January 2022.[2]

History

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Development and construction

[edit]

In the mid-1970s,Canadian Marine Drilling(Canmar), the drilling subsidiary ofDome Petroleum,began drilling for oil in the Canadian part of theBeaufort Seausing ice-strengtheneddrillshipsand an extensive support fleet of icebreaking vessels. Aiming for year-round operations, the company also began developing its own experimentalicebreakerconcepts to support exploration drilling and, eventually, production-related operations.[3]

The first vessel of this research and development program represented a radical departure from previous icebreaker design. In just eight weeks, Canmar's engineering and design team developed an icebreaker concept which emphasized simplicity and ease of construction to ensure quick delivery. While traditional icebreakers featured rounded hulls which were expensive to produce, in Canmar's design approximately 80% of the shell plating consisted of flat plates and hard chines. The spoon-shaped bow also featured reamers to improve turning capability in ice by breaking a channel that wider than the vertical-sided midbody. While the hull surface was initially left unpainted with only a handful ofsacrificial anodes,the bow was lined with nozzles that pumped 12,000tons of sea water per hour onto the ice to reduce hull-ice friction. In the engine room, the simplest type of propulsion system was adopted: while most icebreakers featured diesel-driven generators, transformers and electric propulsion motors driving multiple shafts, Canmar opted for two medium-speeddiesel enginesmechanically geared to a single propeller shaft. Thecontrollable-pitch propellerwas shrouded in anozzlethat not only protected it from ice, but also increased thrust by 30% at lower speeds.[3][4][5][6]

Most icebreakers have two or more screws and people thought we were crazy with adopting the one-prop concept... but we decided to put all of our eggs in one basket, and then made that basket stronger than hell.

— Gordon Harrison, President, Canadian Marine Drilling[6]

After the icebreaker concept had been developed, Canmar hired the Vancouver-based engineering companyArctic Offshore Designto produce a tender package which was then handed over toSaint John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Companyfor detailed planning and construction. Laid down on 5 April 1979 and launched only few months later asCanmar Kigoriak,the icebreaker was built in record time of only eight and a half months at a cost of about 25 millionCanadian dollars.She was delivered to Canmar on 4 September 1979 and hastily departed to the Beaufort Sea shortly afterwards.[3][4][7]

Canmar Kigoriak(1979–1997)

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Canmar Kigoriak's primary mission was to protect stationary drillships fromdrifting icethroughice management.When a potentially dangerous ice feature was detected approaching the drill site and the spread-moored drillship, the icebreaker was dispatched to break it up into smaller pieces that would not pose a threat to the drilling operation; this allowed extending the drilling season by starting it earlier and ending it later. In addition, she was used for other tasks such as escorting drillships to and from the drill site. During the winter months, the vessel was left unmanned in cold lay-up together with other Canmar vessels.[3][8]

In the late 1970s and early 1980s,Canmar Kigoriakwas tested in all ice conditions found in the Beaufort Sea. In addition to determining the icebreaker's operational capability and limitations in extreme conditions such as large multi-year ice floes, systematic research was carried out to gain understanding of full-scale ship-ice interactions in order to develop feasible solutions for year-round transporting oil and gas from the Arctic in the future.[3][8]During these trials, the hull and propulsion system were extensively instrumented to measure vessel motions and structural response during icebreaking operations.[9][10]The tests, which began with the main voyage through theNorthwest Passageand continued both during and outside of the drilling operations, demonstrated thatCanmar Kigoriakwas able to operate safely in ice conditions far beyond what was specified for herice class.Despite ingesting two foreign objects (amooring buoyand a steelI-beam) during the early years, the single-screw vessel could continue independent operations at moderate power levels without immediate repairs.[3]

The lack of a protective coating was a serious mistake in the cold, oxygen rich, seawater and, despite the anodes, the vessel suffered from major corrosion and serious weld erosion. The vessel was placed in a floating dock in the Beaufort sea. Plates were replaced and welds were replenished and the entire underwater area was fresh water washed, blast cleaned and coated with about 700 microns of an ice resistant coating (Inerta 160) which had been developed in Finland. This coating basically preserved the vessel and improved the ice breaking capability.[citation needed]

FollowingCanmar Kigoriak's arrival to the Beaufort Sea in late 1979, the Canmar drillships drilled a total of 25 wells for Dome Petroleum and other oil companies in the Canadian part of the Beaufort Sea.[11]In addition, four more wells were drilled by the drillships in the Alaskan waters in 1985–1991. Other wells were drilled from artificial drilling islands as well as novel drilling systems such asKullukand thesingle steel drilling caisson.[12]While a number of oil and gas discoveries were made, none of the findings were sufficient to warrant commercial production. Following the falling oil prices in the 1980s and theExxon Valdezoil spillin 1989,hydrocarbon explorationin the Beaufort Sea and the MacKenzie Delta gradually ended.[13]In 1994,Canmar Kigoriaktook part in disbanding Canmar's Arctic drilling fleet: after towing the laid-up drillshipCanmar Explorerout of long-term storage inMcKinley Bayand handing her over to a Russian tug bound for scrapyard in the Far East, she returned to collect the 30,000-ton floating dockCanmar Careenthat was relocated toBritish Columbiato be stored until sold.[14][15]

The experience gained fromCanmar Kigoriakand Canmar's subsequent icebreakers was used in the design of the 1988-built Swedish icebreakerOdenwhich incorporates some design aspects of the Canadian icebreakers' hull form, propulsion and auxiliary systems used to reduce ice resistance.[16][17]

Kigoria(1997–2003)

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In 1997, Amoco sold Canmar's remaining assets, includingCanmar Kigoriak,to an international consortium of shipping companies.[18][19]After reflagging the vessel to Liberia and shortening her name toKigoria,the full commercial and operational management was entrusted to International Transport Contractors (ITC), a subsidiary of the Norwegian-basedTschudi Group.Initially, she was chartered to support layingsubmarine communications cablessuch asAlaska Unitedlinking theState of Alaskato theContiguous United States.[20][21][22]In 2000,Kigoriawas also used to remove and dispose of a section of the firsttransatlantic telegraph cablelaid by theSSGreat Easternin 1866.[23]

Despite being originally built as an icebreaker,Kigoriawas often used inmarine salvageoperations where her large cargo deck and powerful crane were found useful.[24]In August 1999, she was dispatched to search for ageneral cargo shipLady Bellewhich had been abandoned in mid-Pacific following an engine room fire, but the stricken freighter was never found and the search was called off.[22]In a more successful salvage operation in 2000,Kigoriarefloated the 35,000-tonbulk carrierBovecat Tuck Inlet nearPrince Rupert, British Columbia.The ship had been awaiting for berthing in ballast when she began dragging anchors in a storm and drifted around. At low tide, her hull was subjected to excessive longitudinal stresses as the aft section with engine room, propeller and rudder was hanging unsupported in mid-air, completely out of the water, and there was a serious danger that the vessel would break in two during the upcoming spring tide. WhileBovecwas later declaredconstructive total lossandsold for scrap,the salvage operation was successful: with nearly 200 tons of pulling force,Kigoriamanaged to drag the bulk carrier off the rocks.[25][26]Another successful salvage operation involving a 25,250-ton Panamian-flagged tankerShauandarwas completed off the Cuban coast few years later.[24]In January 2003,Kigoriawas dispatched from Bermuda to salvage the Finnish-flagged ro-ro vesselCamillathat had been abandoned 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) offNewfoundlanddue to engine troubles. Despite heavy weather,Kigoriamanaged to take the stricken vessel into tow and bring safely toConception Bay.[27][28]

Kigoriawas also regularly employed for long and challenging ocean towages either alone or in co-operation with other tugs. In late 2000, she towed thejackup rigRowan Gorilla IIIfromHalifax, Nova Scotiasouth along the Atlantic coastline. While the contract stipulated thatKigoriawas to utilize only one of her two main engines at a time, the second engine was started after four days when the three-vessel convoy encountered up to 10-metre (33 ft) swells andforce-10south-easterly winds, and the jackup rig with 150-metre (490 ft) legs arrived safely inSabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texasjust before Christmas. Next year,Kigoriaparticipated in towing the 167-by-59-metre (548 by 194 ft) submersible laybargeLB 200fromNorth Seato theCaribbeanacross theAtlanticwith another tug.[23]On the return leg, she towed a 61,500-ton tankerBertheafromHouston, TexastoHamburg,Germany,for engine repairs in 31 days on her own and without utilizing more than 70% of her engine power. Shortly afterwards, she did another westbound trans-Atlantic crossing with an average speed of 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph), towing the 121-by-74-metre (397 by 243 ft) accommodation platformSafe Britannia,and returned with thesemi-submersible drilling rigOcean Whittingtonthat was towed from Brazil to the Namibian coast. After having remained in the West African offshore fields for some time,[24]the heavy icebreaker was contracted for yet another transatlantic tow when the 108-by-76-metre (354 by 249 ft) semi-submersible accommodation platformPolyconcordwas relocated fromMadeirato theCantarell Fieldoff Mexico.[28]

In 2002,Kigoriafinally returned to the Arctic when she was chartered to tow thesingle steel drilling caisson(SSDC) in co-operation with another icebreaker,Arctic Kalvik.The 125,000-ton Arctic drilling unit, which consists of the forward two thirds of the hull of avery large crude carriermated with a 218 by 110 metres (715 by 361 ft) submersible barge, would be used to drill an exploratory well forEncana Oil & Gasat the McCovey prospect. The 600-nautical-mile (1,100 km; 690 mi) tow fromPort Clarence, AlaskatoPrudhoe Baywas completed in just 12 days.[29]In the following summer,Kigoriareturned to the Beaufort Sea to tow theSSDCto a storage location nearHerschel Island.This month-long round trip via theNorthwest Passagemarked the end of ITC's five-year management of the vessel: shortly afterwards,Kigoriawas sold to Russia.[30]

Talagy(2003–2010) andKigoriak(2010–present)

[edit]
KigoriakinGdynia,Poland, in 2018.

In late 2003,Kigoriawas acquired by a joint venture between the RussianFEMCO Groupand the Netherlands-basedSmit Terminalsand reflagged to Russia. Following a refit in Gdansk, Poland, the icebreaker was chartered to provide icebreaking and escort services to tankers callingRosneft's oil terminal nearArkhangelsk.She was renamedTalagy(Russian:Талаги) after a village in the Arkhangelsk region where the terminal is located.[31][32]However, few years later she was moved to the Sakhalin region to supportExxonMobil'sSakhalin-Iproject.[33][34]While in the Far East,Talagywas chartered byION Geophysicalto support seismic surveys in theChukchi Seaand Beaufort Sea regions in 2010.[35][36]Later that year, the vessel was given back part of her original name,Kigoriak(Russian:Кигориак).

In 2011,Kigoriakparticipated in towing the 117,000-ton, 126-by-126-metre (413 by 413 ft) ice-resistant offshore platform for thePrirazlomnoye fieldfromMurmanskto thePechora Sea.[37]

In 2018,Kigoriakoperated in theBaltic Seato support the laying of theNord Stream 2natural gaspipeline.[38]In 2019, she participated in Gazprom's drilling operations in the Kara Sea.[39][40]

In late 2020,Kigoriakwas chartered to escort an ice-strengthened cargo ship,Sparta III,toDudinka.On the return leg, the vessels became beset in ice nearMys Sopochnaya Kargain theYeniseyriver estuary. As a result,Sparta III's operatorOboronlogisticswas forced to askFSUE Atomflotto divert one of thenuclear-powered icebreakersoperating in theGulf of Obto free the vessels.[41]

FEMCO soldKigoriakfor scrap in January 2022. The shipbreaker reportedly paid a premium price, $745 per light displacement ton, due to the quality of equipment on board.[2]

Design

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Kigoriakwas 90.7 metres (298 ft)long overalland 78.9 metres (259 ft)between perpendiculars.Her hull had abeamof 17.25 metres (56.6 ft) amidships and 19.25 metres (63.2 ft) over the reamers. She had a maximum draught of 8.5 metres (28 ft) andmoulded depthof 10 metres (33 ft).[3]

The simplified hull geometry pioneered by the Canadians consisted mainly of flat plates and hard chines.Kigoriak'sspoon-shaped icebreaking bowhad a flatstemand sharp shoulders followed by the channel-widening reamers at the waterline and a heavy forefoot followed by a full-length box keel. Abaft, she had a simple barge-type hull with a single chine and vertical sides ending to an undercut stern. Compared to traditional icebreakers with rounded bilges, the simplified hull geometry also helped to dampenrollingin open seas. Internally, the hull was divided into seven watertight compartments, two of which could flood without sinking or capsizing the vessel, and all fuel tanks were protected by double sides to prevent spills in the event of hull damage.[5][3][4][42]At the time of delivery,Kigoriakwas the first icebreaking vessel built to meet the requirements of the Canadian Arctic Shipping Pollution Prevention Rules (CASPPR).[42]RatedArctic Class 3,she was designed to maintain forward motion through three feet (1 metre) of ice. However, her bow was strengthened aboveArctic Class 4requirements and she also had sufficient propulsion power to meet the higher requirements.[4][43]

Kigoriakhad a diesel-mechanical propulsion system with two medium-speeddiesel enginesdriving a single 4.3-metre (14 ft) four-bladedductedcontrollable pitch propeller.Thetwelve-cylinderSulzer12ZV40/48 main engines were rated at 8,700 hp (6,500 kW) each and geared to the propeller shaft usingwet clutchesthat allowed slipping at torque peaks to protect the drivetrain from damage. The main engines could also be used to power the hull lubrication system: when the vessel was moving at a speed of two knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph), the system's two pumps created a 15-centimetre (6 in) water cover on the ice over the full beam of the vessel.[5][4]For maneuvering, the vessel had two 1,180 hp (880 kW)transverse tunnel thrusters:one in the bow and another in the stern.[44]

See also

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References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toKigoriak.
  1. ^"Kigoriak(7824261) ".Equasis.Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.Retrieved2018-09-09.
  2. ^abc"Icebreaking anchor-handler scrapped at whopping $745 per ldt".TradeWinds. 26 January 2022.Retrieved1 February2022.
  3. ^abcdefghKeinonen, A.; Duff, J. (1983),"Canmar Kigoriak - Demonstration of Arctic Capability"(PDF),The Seventh International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC'83),vol. 2, Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (VTT), pp. 620–633
  4. ^abcdeIcebreaker Kigoriak a success! Northern Development, Winter 1979. Page 8.
  5. ^abcIce record breaker. Marine Week, October 1979.
  6. ^abIcebreaker Kigoriak tames hostile Arctic. The Calgary Herald, 9 February 1980.
  7. ^"Kigoriak(7824261) ".Sea-web.S&P Global.Retrieved2018-09-09.
  8. ^abClark, Karin; Hetherington, Cory; O'Neill, Chris; Zavitz, Jana (1997),Breaking Ice With Finesse: Oil & Gas Exploration in the Canadian Arctic,The Arctic Institute of North America,ISBN978-0919034945
  9. ^Edgecombe, M. H. (1983),"Instrumentation of Canmar Kigoriak for full scale icebreaking trials, winter 1979-1980"(PDF),The Seventh International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC'83),vol. 4, Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (VTT), pp. 725–758
  10. ^Ghoneim, G. A. M; Keinonen, A. J. (1983),"Full-scale impact tests of Canmar Kigoriak in thick ice"(PDF),The Seventh International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC'83),vol. 3, Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (VTT), pp. 329–346
  11. ^Callow, L. (2012):Oil and Gas Exploration & Development Activity Forecast, Canadian Beaufort Sea 2012 – 2027.LTLC Consulting in association with Salmo Consulting Inc. April 2012.
  12. ^Beufort Sea Exploration Wells.BOEM.Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  13. ^Oil and Gas Exploration & Development Activity Forecast, Canadian Beaufort Sea 2013-2028.Lin Callow, LTLC Consulting, March 2013.Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  14. ^1994 Sales and Charters.Marcon International Inc.Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  15. ^New Powerful Icebreaker Under Construction At Gotaverken Arendal.Maritime Reporter, August 1988.Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  16. ^Johansson, B.; Liljeström, G. (1989),"Oden - Icebreaker Technology for the Year 2000",SNAME Transactions,97:53–83
  17. ^The Richness of Discovery.Peter McKenzie-Brown, 12 August 2006.Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  18. ^Barker, A. and Timco, G. (2012):Overwintering of Barges in the Beaufort - Assessing Ice Issues and Damage Potential.Technical Report OCRE-TR-2012-008.Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  19. ^ITC NewsWaves Issue 2,October 1998.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  20. ^ITC NewsWaves Issue 3,May 1999.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  21. ^abITC NewsWaves Issue 4,November 1999.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  22. ^abITC NewsWaves Issue 6,May 2001.Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  23. ^abcITC NewsWaves Issue 7,April 2002.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  24. ^Major Marine Vessel Casualty Risk and Response Preparedness in British Columbia.EnviroEmera Consulting Services, July 2008.Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  25. ^ITC NewsWaves Issue 5,July 2000.Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  26. ^Ms CAMILLA, vaaratilanne ja aluksen evakuointi Pohjois-Atlantilla 23.1.2003.Tutkintaselostus B 1/2003 M. Onnettomuustutkintakeskus.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  27. ^abITC NewsWaves Issue 8,May 2003.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  28. ^An Arctic Tow by ITC.Maritime Journal, 1 January 2003.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  29. ^ITC NewsWaves Issue 9,2005.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  30. ^Supply & Tug Supply Boat Market Report.Marcon International, Inc. October 2003.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  31. ^Irina Katorina; Lada Goltvina (2003-12-08)."Еще один ледокол на севере".ИА "Двина-Информ". Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-25.Retrieved2018-11-21.
  32. ^TUG Magazine June 2006Archived2016-04-13 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  33. ^TUG Magazine October 2005Archived2016-04-13 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  34. ^Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for a 2010 Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Permit to Conduct an Exploration Seismic Survey in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas Outer Continental Shelf.Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  35. ^Pelletier, J.-F. and Guy, E. (2012):Évaluation des Activitiés de Transport Maritime en Arctique Canadien.les Cahiers Scientifiques du Transport, No 61/2012, Pages 12-13.
  36. ^Towing of the Prirazlomnoya platform to field started.Press release. Gazprom, 18 August 2011.Retrieved 2018-11-17.
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  38. ^""Газпром геологоразведка" начала мобилизацию буровых платформ из порта Мурманск в Карское море "(in Russian). PortNews. 10 July 2019.Retrieved16 July2019.
  39. ^"Norwegian ships accompany Chinese rig to Russian Arctic drill site".The Independent Barents Observer. 16 July 2019.Retrieved16 July2019.
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  42. ^"Canmar Kigoriak - An Icebreaking Anchor Handling Boat",Polar Record,20(128), Cambridge University Press: 454–455, 1981,doi:10.1017/s0032247400003703,S2CID251057749
  43. ^Technical Specification "Kigoriak".FEMCO.Retrieved 2018-11-21.
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