Мурманская миля. 2016, № 3.

ONBOARD THE RESEARCH VESSEL “We failed to refit the NALIVKIN in Murmansk, although an attempt was made: we prepared the project, discussed it, but the situation had already become unstable... And we moved the vessel to Norway. On one of the small islands there a company was situated, a small enterprise by modern standards. It was very compact but so technically equipped that all the works were being performed on the fly. It was unlike our standard approach to ship-repairing which starts with design documentation to be agreed upon with the Port Authority that is a rather long process; then the design documentation undergoes correction, being agreed upon again, and here we go again. Time is marching on and the work stands still. But there everything was being done on the fly. The naval architect was showing what, where, and how would be performed and was plotting it on the drawing at once. Within the shortest time period of just three-four weeks the vessel was completely refitted. Then it was equipped with western seismic devices: compressors, air guns, and streamers. Definitely, we had our own receiving instruments but they were short and had no streamer horizontal position checking. To sum up, they did not meet the contract works requirements therefore the Norwegian company Geoteam invested its money and the vessel was equipped with the most advanced Western devices and completely prepared for the tasks performing.” “And the NALIVKIN successfully started to perform the contract works. By that time a good professional team had formed in Murmansk. The young geophysicists, who earlier operated the Russian equipment, started to master the up -to-date western equipment which had a bit different specific features. If before the refitting we worked as we knew then at that time western supervisors appeared aboard the vessel and monitored over the compliance with the work technology and strict requirements. The practice had to be reformed. Gennady Kazanin, nowadays General D irector of MAGE, made a lot of efforts to solve all the occurred issues. The equipment was fam iliar and clear to him as he was an e lectronic engineer.” “The vessel made a good showing and Geoteam remained satisfied. It should be mentioned that technical reequipment of the vessel had been performed rather often, renewal took place every year or every other year, new devices of the western manufacturers appeared. That is why the data acquired by the NALIVKIN have always been notable fo r their high quality. And we still use them fo r the verification of the outer limit of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean. I cannot tell you precisely but I think that the NALIVKIN has already shot several thousand nautical miles during seismic surveys in the Barents, Kara, Pechora, Laptev, and East Siberian Seas. The investments into the vessel have propably been retained a dozen times. It’s a good vessel meeting the basic requirements which remain actual today.” 34 RV Geolog Dm itriy Nalivkin boa rd . O c to b e r 2014 . Борт НИС «Геолог Д м и тр и й Наливкин». Октябрь, 2 01 4 г. MURMANSK MILE • 3-2016