P-305 incident brought attention to sea barges: Cyclone Taktaeu

As cyclone Tauktae struck, ONGC's barge Papaa-305 became stranded in the Arabian Sea after its moorings broke and sank. After breaking free from their anchors, two more barges went adrift. Fortunately, everyone on board was rescued safely.

This has focused attention on sea barges and the protection of those deployed on them for professional engagements.

What are sea barges, exactly?

There are floating platforms that don't have their own propulsion system. Usually, they are pushed by tying up to a tugboat.

An accommodation vessel, such as those that were damaged by cyclone Tauktae off the coast of Mumbai, may be as tall as a three-story house. They have the appearance of a small township.

The ONGC barges based in the Arabian Sea had eight 3-4 km long anchors. It takes several days to raise them since they must be towed by other boats and then winched onto the barge. The same is true when it comes to lowering the anchor.

What purpose did the barges serve?

The barges were used for drilling and exploration in the Mumbai High & Western Offshore's Heera field. All three cyclone-affected barges belonged to the Shapoorji Pallonji group company Afcon, which employed people aboard.

What went wrong?

Due to cyclone Tauktae, three barges were adrift after breaking free from their anchors. Papaa 305, one of them, sank later, most likely after colliding with an oil platform. One of the causes of the accident is the cyclone deviating from its previously expected course.

According to some ONGC officials, there was a sudden pressure drop, resulting in more extreme conditions than anticipated.

Who takes a call in difficult situations?

The 'Master' of a vessel determines if the barge should be pushed away from a cyclone's path based on weather inputs and warnings.

It is not unusual for a cyclone to deviate from its course, which is why error margins are taken into account when determining a reasonable distance from the path.

Following the P-305 crash, some questions have arisen: Did the crew follow the proper procedures in such a situation? Wasn't there any time to get the barges moved? Was the information flow adequate?

Only a detailed investigation will reveal the sequence of events that contributed to the crash, as well as whether an error in judgement jeopardised the barge's occupants' safety and whether it could have been prevented.