Sphere No.44 (Mar 2018)

Sphere #44 2018 17 >> over a mast. The only solution is to mount a second unit alongside the faulty one and wait until the spring thaw to swap the original out. In addition to ice on the masts, ground frost in the winter prevents digging operations, especially in the north. Often cable is laid on the ground and left there until summer. The same goes for building access roads into inaccessible areas. Always come with the right gear Husky Energy also deploys special equipment for working in the north. Keeping drilling equipment working in extreme cold means that all equipment is ‘winterised’ with things like trace wires that carry a current to generate heat. Much of the equipment generates its own heat – as long as it keeps operating – and can be controlled remotely. Trevor Pritchard is Husky Energy’s Senior Vice President, Process and Occupational Safety. He was impressed when he arrived in the north and discovered that “trucks up in the Northwest Territories have a small engine built into the hood of the vehicle and connected to the main engine cooling system. This generates enough heat to keep the cooling system from freezing and also allows the cab heater to work for short durations.” This is important because, “Otherwise you need an electrical heater and electrical supply, or you need to leave the engine idling ... Either way, fuel costs go up when working in the cold,” he explains. Here there be icebergs Other special vehicles include aircraft whose only job is to look for icebergs that could pose a risk to offshore drilling operations. February to July is peak season, as warming weather causes ice to break off of the main “3 Sweden field technicians serving base stations always need to be ready to go out and secure service for our customers.” Maria Jonsson Head of Networks 3 Sweden Strict protocols exist for dangerous, exhausting conditions in order to protect 3 Sweden’s telecom professionals. Frozen doesn’t mean immobile. Falling icicle is a mortal threat.