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Today has been a quiet day for Voyage 4 as a result of poor weather. We were expecting the weather to hold until after lunch but unfortunately the wind picked up just after midnight and have averaged between 40-50 knots throughout the day. This is equivalent to 75-90Kph and is unsafe for our boat crews who operate inflatable rubber boats (IRBs).
The cut-off limit for our IRB's is 25 knots which is calculated not on gusts, but on the average wind speed taken over a 10 minute period. Fortunately the AIVIQ bridge computers automatically calculate the 2 and 10 minute average wind speed as well as providing wind gust readings. This allows the VM to have the most up to date data to make decisions.
With not much happening today I thought it would be good to provide an overview of how fuel gets from the ship to Casey Station.
Casey Station has capacity to hold a little over 1.2 million litres of Special Antarctic Blend (SAB). SAB is essentially diesel with additives to stop it freezing in subzero temperatures.
Broadly speaking, Casey's fuel is held in 4 main areas as follows:
* Lower Fuel Farm (LFF) - The LFF is located approx. 100m from the wharf and holds 540,000L in six 90,000L tanks
* ISO tanks - The ISO tanks are located just downhill from the LFF and hold 204,000L in six 34,000L ISO tanks
* Upper Fuel Farm (UFF) - The UFF holds 450,000L in five 90,000L tanks
* Satellite tanks - There are also a number of satellite tanks spread across the station which hold various amounts of SAB.
When conducting refuelling the team set-up a number of hoses and valve blocks connecting each of the various fuel installations. If we were to trace the fuel from the ship to each installation it would look a little something like this:
1. The fuel moves from the ships tank through a hose and into a pump on the deck of AIVIQ.
2. The fuel is then pumped through an overwater hose across the water until it reaches land. The overwater hose can be up to 1.8km in length and is secured by a number of anchors.
3. When the fuel reaches the shore it connects to another 140m length of hose which travels from the shore line to a valve block at the LFF.
4. At the valve block the fuel can be diverted to the LFF or to the UFF.
5. When the fuel is diverted to the UFF tanks it travels through a 600m hose until it connects to a hardline which flows into the UFF tanks.
6. Filling of the ISO tanks and satellite tanks is done either via a smaller pump (ISOs from the LFF), a transfer through the station hardline from the UFF, or via the station bowser.
The sequencing of tank filling can be complex and is closely controlled by the Refuelling Supervisor (RS). Communication between Casey Station personnel and the RS is vital for ensuring valves are open and shut at the right times and tanks are not overfilled causing a fuel spill.
The weather for tomorrow is not looking much better so for now we will wait and continue to plan for different scenarios.
Regards,
Trent and Cam
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.