RECOMMENDATIONSTOVERIFYANDSUSTAINPREVENTIONANDRESPONSESYSTEMSREADINESSINPRINCEWILLIAMSOUND

• OVERVIEW• 2018EdisonChouestOffshorereplacesCrowleyMarineServices

• Providingtugs,barges,equipmentandpersonnelthatarethemainstayofthepreventionandresponsesystemofTAPSmarineoperations.

• 5ea.ASD4517EscortTugs• 4ea.ASD3212GeneralPurpose/SecondaryEscortTugs

• RossChouestUtilityVessel• 4ea.PurposeBuiltResponseBarges• Crewssufficienttoproperlymanthevessels• Thisreportrecognizesthatitisanexcellentopportunityforanimprovedsystem.

• Thereportalsosuggestsmodeling/simulationsanddemonstrationstoverifythecapabilityofthenewequipmentandpersonnel.

WHATISTHEPURPOSEOFTHISREPORT

• Recommendmodeling,fielddemonstrationsandexercisestoverifytheon-waterassetsandpersonnelarepreparedtoserveinPrinceWilliamSound.• BasedonStateandFederalregulatoryrequirements.• InternationalStandards.• PrecedenceandpastpracticebasedonpreviousmethodsusedtoassessthecurrentPrinceWilliamSoundEscortandResponseSystem.

• Doesnot evaluatethecurrenttransitionprocess.• Identifyameaningfulprocesstoensuretheeffectivenessofthevesselsandpersonnelbyrelatingbackonhistoricalpractice.

WHATMATTERSANDWHYDOWEWORRYABOUTIT?• IsthenewequipmentBAT?

• Keepspacewiththelatesttechnology.• Isitascapableoranimprovementoverexistingequipment?• Thesystemshouldcontinuallyimprovewiththeintroductionofnewanddifferentequipmentanddesigns.

• Theequipmentandpeoplearereadyandcapableofexecutingtheirroleseffectively.• Necessaryforthesystemtomeetitsintendedpurpose

AreAdditionalModelingandSimulationsNeeded?

• In2000,Glostenmodeledworstcasetankertrajectoriesfor198,000DWTtankerwhileescorttugassisting/towing.(GlostenSHIPMANDriftSimulationsfor128,000DWTtanker.• Inconfinedwaterwayse.g.ValdezNarrows,ValdezArmBuoy9,CapeHinchinbrook&GulfofAlaska.

• Whilethetankerisunderemergencytowwiththeescorttug.

• Identifyrapidsteeringassistandbrakingforcestocontrolthetanker'strajectorywithinthemaximumadvanceforthearea.

• EstablishmaximumDWTtankerthattheASD3212andASD4517arecapableofassisting/towing.• GlostenSHIPMANManeuveringSimulationsofTankerEscortWithCrowley’sEscortTugsETT,PRTandProtector(GlostenFile01046July2006)

• Conductscalemodeltanktesting• CrowleyAlaskaETTNanuq/Tan'erliqRadioControlledModelTestsGlostenFileNo.00103(March2001)• Thisprojectwasconductedtostudythebehaviorofthetuginescortsituationsutilizingaself-propelledmodel.Thistestingprovidesanopportunitytosimulateatugattachedtoatankerexecutingfullscalemaneuvers.Themodelwasalsousedtoinvestigatetheconsequencesofdeckedgesubmergenceandmaneuverinitiationprocedures.

• TugMasters,Mates,SouthwestPilotsAssociationandTankerMastersparticipationinFullMissionBridgeSimulations.• AwelldesignedFullMissionBridgeSimulatorallowstheparticipantsinsightintothehandling,assistabilities(bollardpullcondition)andindirect/directsteeringandbrakingforces.

• Allows“BridgeTeam”todevelopcommunicationandcomfortlevelwitheachother’s skills.

• Providesfamiliarityinmaneuveringnearthetankerinworstcaseconditionswithoutendangeringthesafetyofthecrewsorequipment.

• USCGRegulatoryRequirement• Thepeopleandequipmentworkingseparatelyorintandem,mustmeetUSCGPerformancestandards.• Towingatankerat4ktsincalmconditions.• Holdingthetankerinasteadypositionagainsta45ktsheadwind.

• Holdingatankeronasteadycourseagainsta35°lockedrudderat6kts.

• Turningthetanker90° assumingafree-swingingrudderandataspeedof6kts.Withinthesamedistance,itcouldturnitselfwithahardoverrudder.• Althoughtherequirementsdonotdefinetheweatherconditionsfortheseperformancestandards,therecommendationsinthisreportrecognizethattheexercisesshouldbeconductedintheoperatingareaandthe90thpercentileattheminimum.

IDENTIFYEFFECTIVEMANEUVERSTOFACILITATEATANKER“SAVE.”

ThisisanewdesignandtechnologytoPrinceWilliamSound- NeedtoestablishthatthecurrentmaneuversarecompatiblewithASDpropulsion/forwardskegdesignandrender/recoverwinches.

WHYFULLSCALEEXERCISESINTHE90thPERCENTILECONDITIONS?• Allowthecrewanopportunitytopracticeexercisesinreasonable

conditions.• Thispracticeprovidesinsightandindicationofanyoperationsthat

mayneedimprovementwithoutsubjectingthecreworvesseltopotentiallyunsafeconditions.

• DemonstratetheASD4517andASD3212effectivelymaneuverinthe90thpercentileconditionsinordertoproviderapidsteeringandbrakingforcesand/ortakeatankerundertow.• Sincethecrewwillbeworkingontheweatherdeck,thevesselsmust

havesufficientfreeboardandstabilitytoprovidetheworkareafreefromboardingseasandextremedeckaccelerationforceswhilemaneuveringnearthetankersbowandstern.

• CantheUtilityTug(RossChouest)effectivelymaneuverinthe90thpercentileconditionstotakeatankerundertow?• Thisisaverylargeandpowerfulvessel,theeffectivenessand

maneuverabilitymustbeverifiedtomeettheexpectationsasaSentinelTugatPortEtches.

• CantheUtilityTugmeettheexpectationsasaSecondaryEscortTug?• Thevesseldesign,fenderingandbow/towwinchmustbecompatible

toassisting/changingatanker’sheadingand/orspeed.

BasedonTheGlostenAssociates,2007,File06086,AnalysisofMeteorologicalandOceanographicDataforPrinceWilliamSound,Alaska

WHATWOULD"90thPERCENTILEWIND&WAVESLOOKLIKE?

Percentile Averagewindspeed(knots)

Significantwaveheight(feet)

Min 0.00 0.0025th 5.83 3.6450th 10.30 5.5175th 15.75 8.5680th 17.30 9.4590th 21.58 12.295th 25.46 14.73Max 41.60 28.44

Table3.AnnualpercentilesforSealRocksbuoy(2013-2016data)

WHATISTHEIMPORTANCEOFTHE90TH PERCENTILE?• Foranobservationatthe90thpercentile,90%ofallobservationswillbelessthanthatobservationand10%willbegreater.

• 90thpercentileislessthanhalfoftheclosureconditions,whichistrueforawindspeedof21.58knots(48%),butnotsoforseastate.12.2feetis81%oftheclosurecondition.

• Forpracticalcomparison:SmallCraftWarningsforAlaskaareissuedwhensustainedwindsorfrequentgustsreach21– 33knotswithoratleast8-footseas(NWS,2014).

• Althoughseascomplicatemaneuveringandcrewperformance,windshaveasignificanteffectondriftrate,tankerpositionrelativetothewindandsea.

• Vesselsgenerallylayinthetroughordriftbeamtotheseaandwind.

• Windcomplicatespassingamessenger/heavinglinefromthetugtothetanker.

HISTORICALPRECEDENT

• LongBeachFull-ScaleTrialsARCOIndependence—S/RCalifornia

ARCOAlaska—Protector(TheGlostenAssociates,Inc.March1997

FileNo.97009)• Comparedthetug’stheoreticalcapabilitybasedoncomputer

simulationstoactualresultsshowingthecomputersimulationstendtoover-predictfull-scaletugperformance,becausetheyrepresentanidealoperatingenvelopeofthetug’scapability.

• GulfServiceEmergencyTowExercise

December9,1997• Gatherinformationforuseinimprovingtechniquefor

emergencytowing.• ProvidetheGulfServiceandtankerpersonnelpractical

experienceinemergencytowingoperationswithaloadedtanker.

• GainpracticalexperienceofGulfServicetowingequipment.• Practicespecifictechniquesfortankerrescuewithatowline.

• Nanuq/GulfService-ARCOSpiritTowingExerciseJune8,1999• Gatherinformationforuseinimprovingemergencytowingproceduresofthevesselsintheescortsystem.

• Giveescortoperators,pilotsandtankerpersonnelpracticalexperienceinemergencytowingoperationswithaloadedtanker.

• GainpracticalexperienceofGulfServicetowingequipment.• Practicespecifictechniquesfortankerrescuewithatowline.

• Tan'erliq/SeaVoyager- ARCOIndependenceTowingExerciseDecember10,1999• DemonstrateETTstoppingthetankerfrom12kts.,SeaVoyagemakinguptowtothetanker,turningtanker90deg.intothewindandtowingfor20min.

• Alert/Nanuq/ARCOSpiritTowingExercise

March14,2000• TopracticeandimprovetechniquesforrescueofadisabledtankerinPrinceWilliamSound.

• Gatherinformationforuseinimprovingemergencytowingproceduresandmaneuversofthevesselsintheescortsystem.

• Provideescortoperatorsandtankerpersonnelpracticalexperienceinemergencytowingoperationswithaloadedtanker.

• Practicespecifictechniquesfortankerrescuewithatowline.

• CrowleyAlaskaETTNanuq /Tan'erliqRadioControlledModelTestsGlostenFileNo.00103(March2001)

• OverseasWashington/Aware/NanuqHeavyWeatherTowExerciseFebruary6,2004• Themainobjectiveofthisexercisewastomakeasaveatheavierthancalmweatherconditionsand,amongotherthings,ascertainthatitcouldbedone,provideexperienceandtrainingforcrew,tohelpindevelopingashared-experiencedocumentforcirculationamongtugcrewsandtoassistinevaluatingtheprevention/responsetugsinpreparationforreturningthemtoprimaryescortstatus.

OVERVIEW:RESPONSESYSTEMCHANGES

• Openwaterresponseassets• Barges• Skimmers• Booms• NewcrewsonValdezStar

• Responsetactics• Tacticsdesignedtoobtainoptimumvaluefromresponseequipment

• Personnel• Newcompanycomingintooperateresponseequipment

WHATARETHEMAJORCONCERNSWITHIMPLEMENTINGANEWRESPONSESYSTEM?• Asthisisanewsystem,exercisedatathatshowsthecapabilityofthesystemdoesnotcurrentlyexist

• Canskimmersbeoperatedtomeetwhatwasdoneintanktests

• Cantimeframeslistedinthecontingencyplanbemet

• Aretheoilrecoverytacticsachievableandadequateforbothdayandnightoperations

• Underwhatweatherandseaconditionscanthesystembedeployedandoperated

ADDITIONALAREASOFCONERN

• Evaluationofcrewtraining• Exercisingofthenewoperatingcompanypersonnelbackfillsystem• Assessnumberofcrewrequiredtoinitiateandcontinuearesponse• Personneldecontaminationproceduresonthenewbargestoensurearesponsecancontinue• Offloadingofbargestotankersofopportunity• Decantingoffree-waterfrombarges• Tugcrewcapabilitytoadequatelytowbarges,locateandmaneuverbargeinthickestoil,applydispersantifequippedtodoso

HOWWASTHECURRENTRESPONSESYSTEMESTABLISHEDANDREFINED?• RegulatorychangesafterExxonValdezoilspill

• Developedregulationstoensurearesponsecouldbeimplementedtimely

• Determinedhowmuchoilneededtobetargetedforrecoveryinaspecifictime

• Gaveagenciestheabilitytoconductexercisestoensuretheresponsesystemcouldmeettheregulations

• Establishedreasonableratesforfinancialresponsibility

MAJORSTEPSUSEDTOREFINETHECURRENTRESPONSESYSTEM• AgenciesandtheRCACstartedworkingwithindustrytodevelopandcarryoutexercises

• Theexercisesresultedinmanytraining,tacticandequipmentadjustments

• Thisprogressedto,whenapplicable,planningexerciseswithlimitedornoindustryinvolvement

• Thisprovidedforasnapshotintime,orwhatwouldhappenifaspilloccurredwithouttheplanningandpreparationthatgoesintoanexerciseplannedwithindustry.

• Theregulationsremaininplacetoallowfortestingandrefinementofthenewsystem

CONCLUSIONSafetymustalwaysbetakenintoconsiderationwhenestablishingandtestingasuccessfulandreliablepreventionandresponsesystem.ThePWSShippershavecommittedthroughtheirState-approvedTankerC-Planthattheywillrespondtoadisabledtankerandcarryoutaspillresponseinallconditionsinwhichtankerswillbeoperating.Conductingexercisesintheconditionslistedinthisreportwillallowsafetyhazardstobeidentifiedundercontrolledsituationsratherthanunderthepressuresofconductingoperationsduringareal-timeeventinwhatcouldbefar-worseconditions.Thiswillallowsolutionstobedevelopedandcrewscanthenbetrainedtoremainsafe.Waitingtoexperiencepreviouslyunknownsafetyissuesduringareal-timeeventiscontradictorytosafetygoals.