RAM XVIII

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Report in loss of liftboat released

The National Transportation Safety Board has released a Marine Accident Brief (MAB) on the 'Ram XVIII' accident in the Gulf of Mexico about 15 miles south-southeast of Grand Isle, La. Five crewmembers and 10 offshore workers abandoned the vessel and were rescued. Three personnel suffered minor injuries during the evacuation. An estimated 1,000 gals. of hydraulic oil were released. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss at an estimated cost of $1.14 million. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the Nov. 18, 2018, overturning of the vessel was the industry practice of not regularly providing liftboat operators with adequate information about the seafloor composition, which resulted in the instability of the port leg due to unidentified conditions/hazards in seabed composition near the port leg landing site. The liftboat’s master had extensive experience with liftboats, and the final positioning of the liftboat before jacking was at his discretion. Factors in the positioning included the reach of the crane and gangway to the client’s platform, seafloor composition, pipelines and other obstructions, proximity to can holes, and bathymetry. The lease holder provided high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System positioning and historical data showing location of previous landing impressions or can holes. However, the lease holder did not provide core samples, past penetration depths, or historical preloading times for this block to the 'Ram XVIII'. It is likely that the liftboat overturned because the port leg became unstable, but it is unknown whether the sea bottom washed away, the leg settled very quickly in what is known as a “punch-through” in the industry, or the edge of the nearest can hole collapsed. Over time, the number of can holes increases and creates a greater challenge for liftboats jacking up to service platforms.

Liftboat capsized off Grand Isle

The US Coast Guard and good Samaritan vessels assisted in the rescue of 15 people from the “Ram XVII” near Grand Isle, Louisiana, on Nov 18, 2018. atchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 3:16 a.m. from the liftboat that it was taking on water 23 nautical miles west of Southwest Pass, Louisiana with a crew of 15 aboard. They issued an urgent marine information broadcast, launched a Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew, and launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew. The good Samaritan vessel “Starfleet Guardian” embarked six people from the vessel. The Station Grand Isle boatcrew embarked the remaining nine people from the vessel and transferred them to the Starfleet Guardian which took them to shore. The master of the liftboat reported that the vessel had a 45-degree list and no power, causing the vessel to be unable to self correct the list. During the time the vessel was still taking on water, a steel tank filled with soap fell over the side, causing a hazard to navigation. The liftboat had approximately 13,900 gallons of diesel onboard. There were currently no reports of discharge. An urgent safety marine information broadcast was issued for the tank and the liftboat. Members from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Houma planned to attend the partially submerged liftboat. Report with photo: https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-good-samaritans-rescue-15-people-from-lift-boat/2018/11/18/