Edison Chouest and the Gulf Of Mexico | Toteadler.com

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Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:50:34 -0400

Crew-basket in use.

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:38:50 -0400

Peter, Mark and Steve-o on the crew basket.

AMF

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:35:47 -0400

Adios My Friend, leaving the Akira for the last time. Taken from the crew boat.

Pretty

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:35:37 -0400

Rig in the offing

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:35:34 -0400

Hmm... looks like a barge with legs.

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:35:24 -0400

Crewbasket

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:56:12 -0400

Stand on the red lifering thing. Hold onto the netting. Fairly straight forward and wicked fun.

Landing on Transocean Discovery Deepseas

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:56:01 -0400

In the Helicopter

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:55:55 -0400

Me in the helicopter. No hat for safety reasons, you can't have loose things with you because when you get out, if they blow away, chances are good that you'll try to go after them with out thinking. Hello tail rotor. That would totally ruin your day. Earplugs because its noisy. In the event of a water landing, your PFD is already around your neck. Wait until you deplane before inflating it otherwise you'll trap everyone including yourself inside.

Express

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:55:45 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:52:33 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:52:25 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:52:22 -0400

Helo-pad and lifeboat.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:52:15 -0400

Workover

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:52:12 -0400

The jack-up rigs are moved alongside a well platform, jacked up and then the derrick is moved out over the platform allowing them to drill a new hole or do maintenance work on the well from the already established platform.

ENSCO 89

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:51:56 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:51:45 -0400

Hercules

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:50:38 -0400

Hercules 21

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:41:01 -0400

Hercules 120 (or 21?)

Block: Main Pass 30

ACO Boat Gloria B. Callais along side.

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:38:44 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:38:18 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:45 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:39 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:34 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:30 -0400

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Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:26 -0400

Looking down flotation.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:18 -0400

Shrimp-boat in Flotation Canal

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:37:13 -0400

M/V Akira Chouest

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:36:14 -0400

The M/V Akira Chouest. In all her glory. Photo taken from the Discovery Deepseas.

Landing

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:36:09 -0400

Helo tour of the bayou

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:36:03 -0400

Helicopter Crew change.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:35:55 -0400

Chevron's Aircraft (Helicopter) Operations in Leeville, LA

In the tank.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:32:16 -0400

Me in the forpeak

Touch-up paint.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:31:17 -0400

Kin Painting

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:29:51 -0400

Painting?

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:29:47 -0400

Zell and Kin working on something. Painting or scrubbing most likely.

Cylinderheadless Bergen cylinder.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:29:32 -0400

Cylinderheadless cylinder on the Bergen. The Bergen engines are fairly good to work on. The inside round part in the upper right is the crown of the piston, the large rods around it are the cylinder head bolts. The other piping in the front are fuel and and oil lines.

Standing by

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:29:20 -0400

We spend a lot of time waiting for when the rig needs something from us.

ENSCO 7500

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:29:15 -0400

The drilling derek is the tower structure in the middle, the white dome there is either a satellite or radar. The building structure under it the bridge and crew quarters.

ROV

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:28:05 -0400

The ROV (Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle) lives in a cage which is lowered to the bottom on the two thick guide wires. Once down, the ROV can swim free to do its thing.

Cajun Express

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:27:57 -0400

Cajun Express, sounds like fast-food doesn't it?

Kerry cleaning.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:27:28 -0400

Kerry on the engine cleaning some parts for the engine.

Lower Forepeak.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:10:43 -0400

We had a valve that wasn't closing properly in the lower forepeak. Had to empty two ballast tanks to get to it.

Cajun Express

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:09:25 -0400

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Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:09:20 -0400

Kin and Zell touching up the paint. Loading Barite

Evening work.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:09:15 -0400

When loading bulk cargo, two hoses are used, one is product and the other is the air vent on top of the tank, the dust in the vent air is recovered. If this system weren't used it would make quite the mess at the vents.

Watching the hose.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:09:10 -0400

Whenever we're loading or discharging cargo, someone's on deck monitoring the operation and to assure communications with the dock in the event the radios don't work (likely).

Old Fouchon

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:08:59 -0400

susnset of old lafouche

Baker-Hughes on Old Fourchon

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:08:54 -0400

The Baker-Hughes dock on Old-Fourchon. Supplies of dry bulk and mud.

Sunset on Old Fouchon

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:08:34 -0400

Paperwork

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:08:14 -0400

Peter looking over paperwork in the tool room, Kerry chilling out.

Same sunset, pictures don't do it justice.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:51 -0400

Sunset reflected in the water.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:46 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:41 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:37 -0400

Peter Contemplating the Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:33 -0400

Red Sky At Night, Sailor's Delight

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:20 -0400

Wow

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:16 -0400

More Sky

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:08 -0400

Sky

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:06:04 -0400

Cajun Express

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:05:59 -0400

Cutting boxes.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:05:54 -0400

Cutting boxes. This is where all the stone chips that are the product of drilling a hole in rock end up. Don't ask what happens once they get off the boat, I don't know, we just move them.

Cajun Express

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:05:50 -0400

Bergen-Durga Head Swap

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:04:44 -0400

That's the chief engineer Roy on the left, our oiler Kerry on the right, and another engineer Surf bent over a new cylinder head. Every so often you switch out the cylinder heads so they can be inspected for wear and refurbished if they're not spent. We were in the process of swapping out three of the heads.

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:45 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:40 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:35 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:12 -0400

Sunset

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:02 -0400

My favorite time of day along with sunrise. We often get quite a show.

ENSCO 7500

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:02:57 -0400

C-Port 1, Slip 8

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:00:17 -0400

The normal stomping grounds for the Akira Chouest when we're at one of the C-Ports. We're backing into the slip right now which is actually a rather impressive feat. Once in we have about 5 feet of clearance when tied up tight on the other side.

More C-Port 1

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:50 -0400

C-Port 1

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:46 -0400

This is C-Port 1 on Bayou Lafouche. The boats are able to back in to the slips and the gantry cranes can load deck cargo. There are also provisions to bunker, take water, dry bulk, and possibly mud. Its a rather clever idea designed to save time so the boats don't have to move between docks to get each provision.

280s

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:41 -0400

These are the new 280' boats, about third generation. They comprise most of the OSV fleet and are apparently rather high-tech from what I hear.

Pile of Chouest Boats

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:36 -0400

You'll only really see this in the Gulf Of Mexico and related areas. While the boats are waiting for work they all raft up. A lot of times boats will just pull alongside other company's docks or other boats and hang out until the have to go or are asked to move.

Under the rig

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:27 -0400

The Cajun Express is a semi-submersible rig. The legs go down to pontoons under the water. The small area at the water surface minimizes the effects of rough water which mostly causes problems at the sea air interface (where the water and air meet). The rig is kept in position by azimuthing propulsors which turn to keep direct the thrust to counteract the forces of the wind and current.

Back deck at night.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:10 -0400

Our back deck at night, looking over some casing and other cargo.

First Rig

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:59:00 -0400

Transocean Cajun Express

Dry Bulk system check valves

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:58:00 -0400

After a bit of orientation my first job was to replace check valves on the dry bulk system. The one on the left is new, the one on the right has been in service awhile and has a giant cement cake in it, the valve disk and spring were broken. I wonder why it wasn't working?

NAS

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:57:55 -0400

NAS Larose, looking over the yard from housing.

NAS

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:57:50 -0400

NAS Larose, looking over the yard early morning from housing.

North American Shipbuilding in Larose, LA

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 07:35:13 -0400

NAS, in Larose, LA. One of the many Chouest owned yards. Also home to their employee housing. This is looking out over the yard and bayou from the housing.