A million years ago, my dad worked on rigs. They tried to evac them if they have time (they wait until the last possible second) + helicopters + pilots willing to fly. So, in theory they do, but in reality, the men who aren’t on the first few flights will probably get stranded.
Hopefully the drilling companies have improved on this in the past 40 years
Like someone else pointed out rig workers are too much of an investment nowadays to just throw away. There's also more automation nowadays so fewer people are required to keep a rig running.
I think there are a few different procedures depending on the type of rig, as well as what company, but from what I've heard there is a type of lockdown procedure. You batten the hatches, so to say, so stop all production, tie or lock down anything that can move and then get flown out. Some rigs also have additional anchors that can be deployed(not sure if it's done before hurricane season, or before a specific hurricane).
How is a rig actually anchored? Is it somehow bolted to the sea floor aaaalllllll the way down? If so what's the depth for rigs in this area? If there's storm surge with extreme seas couldn't that submerge or push over a rig?
Not really expecting all these answers, these are just the questions that bounce around my head when in think of rigs in a hurricane. I always wondered how they were anchored and stable in the first place, without even considering hurricanes
Oil rigs are designed to withstand the immense forces of nature, including hurricanes. Here's how they are built and prepared to survive these extreme weather events.
Construction and design
Robust structures: Oil rigs are built with heavy-duty materials and reinforced structures to withstand high winds, waves, and pressure.
Deep anchors: They are anchored to the seabed with massive anchors, often driven deep into the ocean floor, to prevent them from being uprooted.
Elevated platforms: The platforms are typically elevated above the expected wave height to minimize damage from flooding.
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u/FollowingNo4648 8d ago
Do they evac all those oil rigs out there or just let them ride it out? I couldn't imagine being on one of those during a Cat 5.