Drilling rigs will have a tough go off Alaska due to weather

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975 · Offshore; (United States)

OSTI ID:6621255

Thobe, S

Alaskan oil and gas will not come easy, largely due to the rugged weather that whips across the offshore waters, i.e., Gulf of Alaska, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea. In these areas, temperatures can range from -80/sup 0/F to 90/sup 0/F. The lower temperatures cause tires to flatten and stick to the ground, engines to freeze, faces to turn white with frostbite in seconds, and workers to become lethargic. Warm weather also presents its own problems. The Gulf of Alaska has perhaps the most severe weather window. Located at the end of the longest overwater track in the world, this large body of water is subject to earthquakes measuring greater than 8.0 on the Richter scale, undersea landslides, tidal waves, swift currents, fog, towering seas, and sustained winds in excess of 100 mph. Authorities say that the conditions in the Gulf of Alaska are worse than the North Sea. The Gulf has stronger winds and higher waves. The Coast Guard has measured a 74-ft wave, and waves of in excess of 90 ft are not improbable. Some of the conditions which may be expected in the various areas are described.

• OSTI ID: 6621255
• Journal Information: Offshore; (United States), Journal Name: Offshore; (United States) Vol. 35:10; ISSN OFSHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ARCTIC OCEAN
BEAUFORT SEA
BERING SEA
CLIMATES
CONSTRAINTS
CURRENTS
DISASTERS
DRILLING
DRILLING RIGS
EARTHQUAKES
FOG
GRAVITY WAVES
GULF OF ALASKA
OFFSHORE DRILLING
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEAS
SEISMIC EVENTS
SURFACE WATERS
TSUNAMIS
WATER CURRENTS
WATER WAVES
WEATHER
WIND