BP Create 88 New Jobs in North Sea Rescue Operations

BP is to implement a new concept in offshore search, rescue and recovery for its North Sea operations, creating around 88 new jobs.

Project Jigsaw expects to go live in December 2005 with investment by BP and its contractors exceeding £135 million.

The concept employs a regional approach to rescue and recovery offshore including:

- New regional support vessels carrying specialised independent rescue and recovery craft and fast rescue craft.
- New search and rescue (SAR) helicopters with specially trained crew.
- A new platform-based radar system.
- New man overboard alarms and personal locator beacons.

The original concept had been for search-and-rescue helicopters and platform-based fast-rescue craft. Regional support ships have been added after discussions with employees.

One new vessel will operate in the central North Sea, a second in the northern sector and a third in the area in between. Each ship is designed to carry two autonomous rescue and recovery craft and two fast-rescue craft. The four ships will replace six standby ships which have a total of 144 crew.

These new arrangements will provide substantially improved capability for offshore search, rescue and recovery over a wider range of weather and sea state conditions. The new marine element is capable of providing stand-alone search and rescue and onboard medical treatment provision. Further elements of the programme will follow in 2005 with full implementation expected by 2006.

Implementation of the plan is expected to create around 88 new jobs - 40 new jobs in the aviation sector and a net addition of 48 jobs in the marine sector, allowing for the substitution of a number of existing standby vessels by the new regional support vessels. The new ships will be British registered and BP expects there will be opportunities for British crew.

A three year contract worth £60million to provide the marine resources for the project has been awarded to Seaguard. The new British-registered ships, which are being built in China, will be managed by Seaguard Offshore, which has its operational base in Aberdeen. Seaguard plans to recruit crews locally where possible.

Bond Offshore Helicopters will provide two new Super Puma search-and-rescue aircraft, one based on a platform in the central North Sea and the other in Shetland.