MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The ORCA team will conduct an emergency exercise tomorrow, 8 July, which will involve a helicopter night deck landing.
The emergency exercise is standard procedure to ensure compliance associated with ORCA activities. The exercise is expected to last for an hour between 17:30 and 18:30.
PetroSA floating production rig, the ORCA was laid-up at the bay in Mossel Bay as from Monday, 9th June 2015.
The laying-up, of the rig will be for an undetermined period whilst the company is looking at various options for its utilization. This follows the suspension of its oil production activities at Oribi/Oryx Oilfields, situated 150km offshore Mossel Bay. Whilst laid-up at the bay in Mossel Bay, the rig will be fully maintained to ensure compliance with variety of environmental legislation and applicable rules.
The suspension of the Orca’s activities is in the main motivated by the impact of the global crude oil price. Extended delays in putting the Orca back into production and continued cost over-runs, also harmed the commerciality of operating the vessel. The Oribi/Oryx fields will be shut-in, preserved and the production rights will be retained with the South African Petroleum Agency (PASA).
The ORCA is not in production and no major work is being planned, hence there is no noise or any impact on marine environment. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and the Department of Environmental Affairs: Ocean and Coasts are informed about its current location.
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