Marine repair and maintenance yard : These yards are operated by 

 the firms which provide repair services for vessels and equipment used 

 in OCS oil and gas development. Services required vary widely, but are 

 likely to include structural, electronic, and mechanical repairs for 

 tugs and for larger drillships, semisubmersible rigs, pipeline lay and 

 jet barges, and pipe supply barges. Repairs to a wide variety of 

 equipment may be included. Efficient service and highly skilled 

 labor are the primary requirements for repair and maintenance work. 

 Skilled workers may include certified welders, shipfitters, electri- 

 cians, mechanics, machinists, riggers, carpenters, pipefitters, sand- 

 blasters, and painters. For underwater work either nearshore or off- 

 shore, skilled divers are required. Around-the-clock service is 

 required during peak OCS activity. 



3.4.2 Site Requirements 



Service bases and marine repair and maintenance components most often 

 are located at existing developed harbors. Proximity to the offshore field 

 is a major criterion in a company's search for suitable harbor space. 

 Service bases require year-round ocean access, wharf frontage, an adequate 

 turning area, navigable channels, and uncongested inner harbors. Existing 

 ports are not always able to readily accommodate service facilities-- 

 international shipping harbors may be geared to special cargo or 

 passenger operations, and pleasure boat harbors are generally unable to 

 provide ancillary services. The best option may be the deep sea commercial 

 fishing port which has facilities for handling ships of comparable size 

 and characteristics. Availability of water, electricity, and solid and 

 liquid waste disposal services also are important considerations. In 

 some cases, the location of bases established during exploration may prove 

 convenient for the development phase and a larger area may be purchased or 

 leased for a longer term. However, if the field is distant from the 

 temporary base a more convenient site may be developed [7]. 



A temporary service base may require about 5 acres per drilling rig. 

 Of the 5 acres, approximately one and one-half acres per drilling rig is 

 used for open storage and warehousing, one-half acre per rig for operations 

 and administrative offices, and one acre per rig for a helipad' [7]. Cer- 

 tain economies of scale result when more than one or two rigs are being 

 serviced. Temporary base siting decisions normally are made after a 

 lease sale, although land options may be purchased earlier. If a per- 

 manent base exists within 100 miles of the leased tracts, a temporary 

 base is unlikely. If the lease area is remote, temporary bases may be 

 established before the sale. Because of the high cost of transporting 

 men and materials, companies seek vacant land which can be leased on a 

 short-term basis (one year or less) in those ports closest to offshore 

 activity. 



A permanent service base requires a 25- to 50-acre site in an all- 

 weather harbor. Most space is used for warehouses and open storage. 

 About one-quarter acre per platform is required for office, communications 



36 



