gaschef
Guest
Dear All
With reference to the discussion on H2S, and its effect on diving equipment. A few years ago whislt oil rig diving in the middle east, we went down on one well head survey, the first divers back using SCUBA reported a H2S type smell, as a result the remaining dives were conducted using SSDE with KM17 helmets.
At the end of the days diving all chome parts on the helmet were covered with a black deposit, when this was removed, we found 90% of the chrome had been eaten away.
This rig was a production platform (and had been for 10 years), not a drill rig so there was no corrosive drilling MUD around. THe Oil Company Manager of course assured us there was nothing untoward in the water!!!. THe Second day of diving saw a dive team clad in drysuits, gloves and anything else we could use to stop ourselves coming in contact with the beastie in the water.
I have never found out what the stuff was but have a suspiscion that it was gas perculating out of the substrata and mixing with normal sea bed mud,
AS a result I am always very wary of H2S, and stick to the old hands theory, if you can smell it get out quick. if not you will be there forever.
incidentally the safety officer wore his BA set the whole time he was on deck, and rumor had it that he slept with one in his bunk just in case
Just beware H2S is lethal stuff, if there is any hint its a recreational dive site, why bother diving it for fun, I would have to think twice about diving the site and I would be getting paid
Be interesting to hear from anyone else with similar stories
all the best
Tim "gaschef" Stevens
:bonk:
With reference to the discussion on H2S, and its effect on diving equipment. A few years ago whislt oil rig diving in the middle east, we went down on one well head survey, the first divers back using SCUBA reported a H2S type smell, as a result the remaining dives were conducted using SSDE with KM17 helmets.
At the end of the days diving all chome parts on the helmet were covered with a black deposit, when this was removed, we found 90% of the chrome had been eaten away.
This rig was a production platform (and had been for 10 years), not a drill rig so there was no corrosive drilling MUD around. THe Oil Company Manager of course assured us there was nothing untoward in the water!!!. THe Second day of diving saw a dive team clad in drysuits, gloves and anything else we could use to stop ourselves coming in contact with the beastie in the water.
I have never found out what the stuff was but have a suspiscion that it was gas perculating out of the substrata and mixing with normal sea bed mud,
AS a result I am always very wary of H2S, and stick to the old hands theory, if you can smell it get out quick. if not you will be there forever.
incidentally the safety officer wore his BA set the whole time he was on deck, and rumor had it that he slept with one in his bunk just in case
Just beware H2S is lethal stuff, if there is any hint its a recreational dive site, why bother diving it for fun, I would have to think twice about diving the site and I would be getting paid
Be interesting to hear from anyone else with similar stories
all the best
Tim "gaschef" Stevens
:bonk: