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(Updated 02 Feb 2010)
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.....Mahatma Gandhi
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.......George Orwell.
We have presented many examples of doctored ROV video with adulterated details since the start of our independent investigation on the BP's Macondo blowout and the mega oil spill in the Gulf. Although any form of adulteration is unethical, we have unearthed many forms of doctored documents, videos, survey logs and even seismic data in our QC/QA (quality control / quality assurance) work in the oil industry. Unbelievable but in reality such fraudulent practices are the norm rather than the deception. Smooth Operators work around regulations as the following extract shows.
Below is a fictionalized account of the safety frauds that are occurring on a daily basis in the offshore industry.
Nobody believes it when you are telling the truth, fictions are more believable.
Imagine a geohazards survey vessel commissioned by an oil company (NeverDelay Oil) for an urgent survey. Geohazards surveys are always urgent and the safety clearance (insurance purposes) for drilling an oil well is always required like yesterday. But the vessel master who was contracted by the shipping agent to command the vessel just a week ago, refused to sail a vessel of such dilapidated condition.
The vessel (let us call it M/V Broken Junk 1 aka BJ1) had been mothballed at port for many years. Although the sea worthiness and safety certificates had just been issued, the Indonesian sea captain knew better than to risk the lives of his 40 crewmen comprising nationalities from several countries including Australia, Singapore and UK, He asked for urgent critical repairs to be made first in Singapore as required by law. But the world's largest contractor (fully accredited ISO 9000 plus) also known by the name FuGold Intl (Forever UnderGoing Repairs Offshore) insisted that the vessel sail by the next 3 days. Faced with extreme pressure, the captain resigned on the spot. No problemo.
The smooth operator always have a list of subservient free-lunch employees who they can depend on at times like this. Captain SNA (ServeAlways Noquestions Asked) answered the urgent call for duty but his medical fitness was a problem. He has been suffering from abdominal pains for months. He was afraid of going for a proper medical checkup in case his persistent medical condition grounded him permanently from offshore duties. He needed the job. This last minute call up was what he had been waiting for. He informed Fugold his medical certificate had expired (offshore workers over 50 years old require annual checkup). Again no problemo. “just fly in to port, we will arrange..” said the operation manager widely known as Mr SafetyFraud. He called up SMC (SickaPoor Medical Centre) for the instant medical certificate to be issued without physical examination. Fugold could have insisted Capt SNA take his medical examination at Manila but he would be needed to attend the Offshore Safety Survivor Safety course as required by HSE (health, safety environment) regulations. It would have taken another 3 more days. At 50,000 USD/day charge to NeverDelay Oil (NDO), it would mean a loss of 150,000 USD chargeable income, besides incurring additional berth charges at port and full onboard survey crew costs. Why bother when counterfeit safety certificates can be faxed to the vessel for cursory inspection? After all, almost all of the vessel's certificates had been fraudulently obtained in the country of registration where corruption is rampant. It would only be a cursory inspection once the credentials of the EU registered international global company is impressed upon the would-be inspectors.
Fugold is accredited against the international quality standard ISO 9001:2000 and operates in accordance with a Health, Safety standard OHSAS 18001:999 and Environmental Management System standard ISO14001:2004 which is integrated with its Quality Management System. Together these systems conform to all national and international legislation as well as industry guidelines. Fugold is a member of the multi-national group of companies with 200 offices operating in over 45 countries. Clients can benefit from individual and collective experience of hundreds of survey professionals worldwide.
With credentials like that, who would dare to question the authenticity of the medical certificate issued from a respectable first world country ranked as the least corrupted country in the world.
The vessel sailed 3 days later after the QC Client Rep from RePeeAss (Restassured Problems Aside Intl) skimmed through all the safety papers and certificates, rushed immediately to his cabin to pass out from 3 days of booze-binge before coming offshore. Less than 3 hours out into the open sea, fire broke out at the engine room followed by a total blackout.
The contractor's party chief (KendoNever SayDie) assured the crew everything was in order. He issued a warning “I am afraid we might not be able complete the survey before this old junk totally breaks down. So please rush everything just in case another fire puts us out of operation. I want everyone to keep a constant lookout for fire breakout 24/7. Our lives depend on it. We have disengaged the fire alarm. Otherwise nobody gets any sleep at all. I know it will be hot in your cabins. The chief engineer informed that the central air-con system cannot be used without risking another fire from the messy burnt internal wiring. Treat this as your privileged Sauna Bath cruise. The operation and recording rooms are fitted with new external air-con. This will be added incentives to work longer hours. Good luck and God Bless us all.”
PC KNSD then ordered the engineers to by-pass the safety fuse-box with direct wiring, disengaged the pesky fire alarm and went on to report to FGHQ SF.
PC KNSD: “Houston ...we have a problem....blah....blah”
FGHQ SF: “IRY. But proceed with O survey plan, repeat urgent. Put incident as Successful Fire Drill. How's CR?”
PC KNSD: “Still passed out”
FGHQ SF: “Good thing we had 3 days at Manila. Put the bar tab as Mob Expenses & Port clearance. Use the Misc ER”.
PC KNSD: “Ok, but..err..fraid' the x-wire might not hold for 3 weeks. BJ1 leaking, MER heating up, stalled a couple of times and Bilge pump NF. Other minor problems but culd burst into bigger things. Man this bucket shudn't even be out here”
FGHQ SF: “Typhoon startin' in the Pacific. Shud hit landfall some time next week. Call weather, head to nearest port next week. Cebu alright? Parts heading there”
PC KNSD: “We are too far south to be affected but Ok, Think of somethin' ”
3 days later 5 am:
PC KNSD: “Houston ...we have a new problem”
FGHQ SF: “Huh? What's up? Port call another 2 days to go”
PC KNSD: “Capt passed out. He's in extreme pain”
FGHQ SF: “OMG. What happened?”
PC KNSD: “His appendix burst, I think. Can't move. Can't touch stomach area. Need Medivac”
FGHQ SF: “Jeezus. Finished the priority site yet?”
PC KNSD: “No, another 5 hours to go. Err another problem.. seismic compressor gone total kaput last night. Halon gas-fire smothering system discharged by another fire in MER. Control panel burnt. No rudder control, Total radio comms blackout”
FGHQ SF: “Jeezus. This is worse than I thought. Knew we shudn't hv taken that MF old junk. But GM said NO. Price as low. @!$%#. Git her for 500USD and charge NeverDelay Oil 50,000 USD/day. How much lower can u get? Log these down, will ya. Will git Mohan to give another month free for all these @!$%#in problems. Hold a minute. Get back to you”.
After 10 minutes.
FGHQ SF: “Ok. Pull up gears and head for Manila”
PC KNSD: “What! Site not completed yet. El Nido is nearest, get there in 3 hours.”
FGHQ SF: “No. Change of Plans. Reloop previous data for present site. Look Dbase in 2007 for Dummo Petroleum. They are just 50 km apart. Similar seafloor & water depth. Will pm RepeeAss on better than expected survey progress. Cite the exceptionally calm sea before the storm. Can't repair them @!$%#in French-made power supply-voltage regulator. Need to be in Manila for major rep job. Do the necessary data swap and details. Can you limp back to port?”
PC KNSD: “Think so. At half speed ok but ...but Capt's in pain. Dunno if he can make it that long. Shud we drop him in El Nido first?”
FGHQ SF: “No, No! Don't @!$%#in do that. Will blow our cover. No port call before Manila. It wuld be in the records. Can't have that. Open Sea okay. @!$%#! He is such a pain in the ass. Just pump in some more morphin or somethin. If he doesn't make it, report an accident or somethin that don't put us in a spot. Serve him right for getting onboard with a pre med problem. Shuld hv known better than to get him that fake MC. He will git us all into lots' trouble. Make sure it is an accident, ok? Don't ask again. Anybody knows. What about the CR?”
PC KNSD: “only the mess boy and Chief mate. Can handle 'em. A big bonus'll do. At M'nila, a night out ok? Don't worry bout' CR. Gave him somethin' for his hang-over. Will keep him in bed next 2 days until M'nila. Over and out. ”
(NB: Capt SNA had advanced gallstones in the bladder medical conditions. Immediate surgical procedures saved his life just in time upon landing. His doctors commented he would have died if he was brought in a bit later. )
At Manila Port, 2 days later.
NeverDelay Oil company (project manager) to FGHQ SF, PC KNSD & survey crew at sign off:
“I want to thank everyone for an excellent job. Evrything went smoothly and exceptionally well. Best of all we beat the deadline. The CR told me you guys went overboard to save us from being hit by weather. Thanks. Let me buy you all a dinner tonight at the Hilton.”
~ above is a compressed rendition of 95% truth and 5% fiction (times, names of parties involved). With this happening everywhere in the world, it is no big surprise the videos from BP were doctored to cover the truth to conveniently play out the deception game. If things play out better than expected or the field operations run too smoothly, junk it. It never happens. Murphy's Laws always apply.
See figure 165-5a as one of the many proofs of recycled data and doctored video. It will be apparent in the coming articles that the blown crater with the oil plume (referred to as Leak(2) on the riser) is actually the blown crater of the third well (BE). As the crater on the seafloor cannot be moving, it is obvious that BP falsified the navigation details on the video. Adulteration, faking and all sorts of frauds are being committed every day in almost every segment of the industry. Because what you don't know, don't hurt until a disaster blows up in our face. Then it is called an “Accident”. In BP's Macondo blowout and mega oil spill disaster, it was more than just an accident.
