Bibby Offshore Continues to Take Lead in Diving Safety
Bibby Offshore has become the first to deploy a pioneering diving safety system in the North Sea. The company provided its divers with the innovative Compact Bailout Rebreathing Apparatus (COBRA) following a recent contract with BP North Sea.
Working at depths of up to 110m, the Bibby divers used the COBRA system to deliver electrical umbilical installation, subsea control module (SCM) change-out, production and controls system integrity testing, de-isolation, and commissioning services. COBRA, developed by JFD, is a simple, highly reliable bailout system providing divers with up to 45 minutes of fully independent breathing gas in an emergency situation. Bibby Offshore’s deployment of the system is, since its introduction to market last year, a first for the North Sea, with the company playing a key part in testing in 2017.
Mr Howard Woodcock, Chief Executive at Bibby Offshore, comments, “The safety of our personnel is paramount at all times. COBRA significantly enhances the time that our saturation divers have to return to the diving bell in an emergency situation, a huge change in improving subsea safety and one we will adopt in the future across our fleet. As leaders in diving safety, it is imperative that our divers are equipped with the best equipment and leading technology. Having the client’s full support for introducing the COBRA rebreathers during operations on its offshore assets clearly demonstrates the alignment between the client and Bibby Offshore, in an ongoing commitment to advancing industry safety.”