SAAF takes over commercial offshore contract
Date: 6 July 2010
By Dean Wingrin
In a surprising move, the South African Air Force (SAAF) has taken over an offshore contract from a commercial helicopter company.
Much to the surprise of the current offshore service provider, Indwe Aviation, two SAAF Oryx helicopters landed at their hanger at George Airport on Thursday, 1 July 2010. The airforce then proceeded to informed Indwe Aviation that the airforce would be taking over their contract with immediate effect.
Indwe Aviation, part of the Titan Helicopter Group, had been providing air transfer services to the FA offshore gas platform operated by the Petroleum, Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (Pty) Limited (PetroSA). The FA platform feeds the world's largest gas-to-liquids plant at Mossel Bay on South Africa's south coast and is situated 85 km off the coast.
Indwe Aviation had been in negotiations with PetroSA for a number of years to conclude a long-term contract. They have been providing the service to PetroSA since they took over the contract from CHC Helicopters which withdrew from South Africa in December 2007. PetroSA have issued a number of tenders in the last six years for the supply of air services to the offshore platform, but all had been cancelled due to cost of providing the service. PetroSA has continued to study ways of obtaining the service at less cost.
The offshore service had been provided by CHC and subsequently Indwe Aviation from the PetroSA owned base at George Airport, using two elderly Sikorsky S-61 aircraft, capable of carrying 19 passengers plus their baggage to the offshore platform. A further helicopter based in Cape Town was used as a standby aircraft in case of emergency. The helicopters, specially equipped for offshore flying in all weather conditions, are used to ferry crew and maintenance workers to and from the platform throughout the week. They would also be used for emergency evacuation from the platform.
As a result of the termination of their contract, Indwe Aviation applied to the Cape High Court on Monday 5 July for an urgent interdict preventing PetroSA from asking a third party to provide the offshore services.
In court papers, PetroSA argues that the SAAF was called in because the offshore platforms are of national importance and should be protected at all costs, adding that pirates were a real danger to the east coast of Africa.
In response to the SA Navy stating last year that they were willing and capable to join the international community in anti-piracy patrols off the east coast of Africa, Cabinet has repeatedly stated that no decision has been made concerning South African involvement in anti-piracy patrols. Security commentators have stated that there is no existing Somali piracy threat south of the northern territories of the Seychelles.
The Beeld newspaper reported that the Court documents indicated that the decision was taken at the highest levels for the airforce to help because of the "threat to national security" posed to the offshore platforms. The newspaper went on to state that in terms of civil aviation regulations, the airforce could not take-over commercial work unless an emergency arises or when no other commercial undertaking could perform the work.
The SAAF is using the South African built Denel Oryx helicopter, built to military specifications and does not have the necessary clearances to fly commercial operations. The Oryx does not conform to civilian safety and offshore transportation standards and carries fewer passengers than the S-61. This would mean that, when a full passenger load is required, the airforce must conduct two Oryx flights for every S-61 flight. Sources indicate that a full passenger load is required at least twice a week.
As the SAAF does not provide life insurance to passengers should something go wrong, it is unclear what effect the use of a military helicopter will have on the life insurance policies of the civilian passengers carried.
