Despite events two days earlier in the United States of America, over 180 delegates joined together in Stavanger, Norway, for this tenth annual seminar.

For the first time, in addition to continuing the station keeping focus of previous events, the range of topics was broadened to include a one day seminar on offshore diving on day one and other marine-related topics on day two, including joint and parallel presentation and workshop sessions, a move warmly welcomed by those present.

As in previous years, a wide range of operational and managerial personnel from across the industry attended the event, bringing a broad depth of experience and using it to good effect in lively and constructive debate. Members of the management committees of IMCA's Marine and Diving Divisions came away with a number of topics having been highlighted as ones where IMCA could usefully carry out work and provide guidance for its members.

Seminar Papers

• The role and value of DP vessels in emergency intervention: The search and rescue perspective
  - Olav Sønderland, Politmesteren i Stavanger
  How a contractor responds
  - Jens-Christian Terjesen, Halliburton Subsea
• Regulatory developments in the Norwegian sector for DP vessels and DSVs
  Olav Hauso, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
• Safest operating mode: How it should be determined
  - Paul Marshall, Coflexip Stena Offshore
• West Venture: Fifth generation DP drilling rig
  - Marius Aarset, ABB and Harry Verhoeven, Smedvig Offshore
• Station keeping for tanker export from the Hanze field
  - Alex West, Veba Oil & Gas Netherlands BV
• Thermal testing of hyperbaric lifeboats: The issues arising in a tropical environment
  - David Jenkins, Coflexip Stena Offshore Asia Pacific
• Diving in contaminated waters
  - Joar Gangenes and OC Andersen, Stolt Offshore AS
• Experience and employment profile of diving personnel
  - Crawford Logan - Technical Adviser, IMCA Diving Division
• DP 2000: Progress and impact on offtake operations
  - John Einar Dalsvåg, Navion
• Red and yellow alerts: The DP driller's perspective
  - Peter Bamber, Diamond Offshore
• The advantage of riser information to DP drilling units
  - Per Øivind Eger, Kongsberg Simrad
• Halon phase-out: Timing and alternatives
  - Paper by David Catchpole - Specialist consultant, ex-BP adviser
  - Presented to the seminar by Joe Farrell-Dillon, Global Maritime
• Ballasting and stability: Controlling the risks
  - Eoin Young, Health & Safety Executive
• Offshore lifting operations: How to reduce downtime
  The manufacturer's perspective
  - Ron Rolink, Huisman-Itrec
  The operator's perspective
  - Pete Somner, Halliburton Subsea
• QA/QC for control system software
  The contractor's viewpoint
  - Gerard Stenfert, Allseas
  The IMCA QA/QC document
  - Richard Cox, C-Mar Services
• Does better and more information make DP safer and more efficient?
  - Allan Meahan, Alstom Power Conversion
• Class I DP vessels: Design and familiarisation problems
  - Robert Schumacher, Alliance Technology AS

Workshops

• DP bridge-dive control communications
• Thermal testing of hyperbaric lifeboats
• Delegate Choice: Safest operating mode
• DP incidents
• Diving in contaminated waters
• Current training issues: Logbook entries, competence scheme
• Riser management on DP drilling rigs
• Halon phase-out
• Offshore lifting operations