"THUNDER HORSE"

With the approach of Hurricane Dennis into the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum evacuated "THUNDER HORSE", the largest Production Drilling Quarters semi-submersible in the world. On 11 July 2005, three short days later, the crew of the PDQ arrived to find the mammoth platform listing approximately 20 degrees and perilously close to capsizing.

T&T BISSO, LLC was contacted and immediately responded to the casualty located in Block 778 of the Mississippi Canyon lease, approximately 150 miles southeast of New Orleans. Salvage Masters Kevin Teichman and Ted Hosking were mobilized and arrived on scene a mere four hours later along with a four man dive team. Additional salvage team members were enroute.

Salvage Masters Teichman and Hosking were the first to board the listing giant along with a small contingent of BP personnel. The main deck of "THUNDER HORSE" was awash and the deck was slick with oil. Emergency power was restored, tanks were sounded, and an assessment of the platforms Vessel Management System was initiated. Several attempts to utilize the on-board ballast system to right the vessel proved unsuccessful.

An underwater survey by an ROV found no external damage to the hull of the rig. The initial assessment by the onboard crew determined that both of the platform’s port columns were flooded as well as the pump rooms located at the base of the columns.

While onboard personnel were assessing the situation, T&T BISSO Salvage Masters were coordinating the response from BP’s Houston Crisis Center. Salvage Masters worked with engineers to determine at what point progressive flooding would occur.

T&T BISSO explosives experts fabricated and dispatched explosive chain cutters in case it became necessary to quickly sever the massive mooring chains that held "THUNDER HORSE" on location.

Powerful portable pumps were dispatched to the platform, set up, and lowered through the elevator and pipe shafts. Pumping operations commenced on Wednesday, 13 July, and continued around the clock. Water levels dropped rapidly as water was pumped from the 185’ columns. By Thursday, "THUNDER HORSE" had 12’ to 15’ of freeboard and the rig was responding favorably to T&T BISSO’S pumping efforts.

As Hurricane Emily roared through the Caribbean and took aim at the Gulf of Mexico, BP hired a Dutch salvage company to help stabilize the vulnerable platform. They arrived on scene on Thursday, 14 July, and lowered an additional pump into the aft port column of the rig.

Friday the 15^th, "THUNDER HORSE" was stable and had 25’ of freeboard. Ballast tanks were carefully drained into the columns and pumped overboard. By the following Wednesday, "THUNDER HORSE" was upright with a list of only .2°. T&T BISSO personnel were released and demobilized.

Despite the difficulty of the project and working in tight, nearly inaccessible spaces, T&T BISSO personnel performed their duties without one injury. Personnel safety was paramount, emphasizing T&T BISSO and BP’s dedication to safety.

T&T BISSO, LLC is an alliance between T&T MARINE SALVAGE, INC. of Galveston, TX and BISSO MARINE CO., INC. of New Orleans, LA. The alliance was formed to offer the maritime community and oilfield industry a full service salvage, lightering and marine firefighting option located locally in the Gulf of Mexico. T&T MARINE and BISSO MARINE together possess 165 years of industry experience. T&T BISSO, LLC also offers OPA 90 coverage nationwide.