Sir

I'm currently employed on a fixed oil platform offshore Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, West Africa. I'm not /MM in anyway, we are permanently fixed deep into the seabed. Can you advise whether operating from a fixed oil platform is considered as being part of the country, I will be operating with the allocated callsign 3C5J.

Sincerely

Martin Lewis

From: Hennessee, John, N1KB
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 12:46 PM
To: 'Martin Lewis'
Cc: Moore, Bill, NC1L
Subject: RE: Operating From Oil Platforms

Martin,

If the platform is fixed, you would not be maritime mobile. I heard about some oil platforms which are floating and, in that case, they would technically be maritime mobile. It really depends on what the rules of the country specify. My guess is that it doesn't really matter. For DXCC purposes, that may be a whole different matter and amateurs may be disappointed if they find that the contact is invalid for DXCC. Identifying MM would clue amateur in to the fact that you aren't on the mainland and would probably clue others to this fact. I am forwarding your message to the DXCC Branch for their information.

73

John, N1KB

From : Moore, Bill NC1L
To: 'Hennessee, John, N1KB'
cc: 'Martin Lewis'
Subject: RE: Operating From Oil Platforms

Hi John and Martin

For DXCC purposes operating from an oil rig is Maritime mobile. The platform, while "fixed" can be moved. We recently had an operation that was rejected for this operating near the Falklands. The callsign was VP8/G4VFW.

The only exception to this rule are permanently docked exhibition ships. (eg: Queen Mary)

DXCC Rule 8:

8. All stations contacted must be "land stations." Contacts with ships and boats, anchored or underway, and airborne aircraft, cannot be counted. For the purpose of this award, remote control operating points must also be land based.

Exception: Permanently docked exhibition ships, such as the Queen Mary and other historic ships will be considered land based.

73

Bill Moore NC1L

From : Martin Lewis
To: "Moore, Bill, NC1L" bmoore@arrl.org
cc:
Subject: RE: Operating From Oil Platforms

Bill

Thanks very much for the reply.

I feel I might be able to offer you specific advice to help the DXCC make a permanent ruling on this subject.

My website offers detailed information on the different types of oil rigs.

VP8/G4VFW Karl is a friend of mine. In summary there are 3 types of oil rig.

1. Semi-submersible, anchored in position for periods of up months at a time, floating on the water while drilling operations are carried out. The anchors are then pulled to allow the rig to move to a different location, either under it's own steam or towed by tugboats.

2. Jack-ups, these have telescopic legs and also move from one location to another moving it's legs up and down to enable either drilling mode (legs on seabed) or passage mode (legs jacked up in the air)

3. Fixed production platform - after a semi-submersible or jack-up drilling rig has completed it's exploration drilling and found oil, an oil platform is built on the site as an almost permanent fixture. It is cemented into the seabed and doesn't float at all. It's a permanent fixture on the continental shelf of a country (until it falls down or is dismantled, there is no way it can be moved to another location.)

Bill, I've operated from all of these types of rigs, signing /MM on semi-subs and jack-ups and when offshore the UK, just with my allocated UK callsign /P.

The fixed production platforms are in no way /MM and CAN NOT move under any circumstances, if it DOES move, I do not want to be on it as it means it is probably toppling over :-)

I am interested to read that you have an exception for the likes of the Queen Mary, maybe also HMS Belfast, the RNARS station in the UK, a permanently fixed feature on the waterway.

I would really appreciate it if the DXCC could consider the case of different types of oil rigs more closely with the view of applying a written rule regarding which types are /MM and taking into consideration the permanently fixed status of a production platform.

Of course, operating from an oil rig creates plenty of interest anyway, but I would very much like a DXCC decision in black & white that I can refer to when I'm asked the inevitable question!

I appreciate your time on this matter Bill and await your response.

My website address is http://www.cleddau.com

Very 73

Martin

MW0BRO/3C5J

From : Moore, Bill NC1L
To: 'Hennessee, John, N1KB'
cc: 'Martin Lewis'
Subject: RE: Operating From Oil Platforms

Hi Martin

After sending my last I remembered that you were not in the USA so the DXAC thing does not matter, But basically if you go by the rules:

A political entity must meet political criteria. A land area must be land, and an Island is not man-made. That's it. An oil rig could never count unless it became a political entity.

This is not likely.

73

Bill Moore NC1L

Maybe I'm just not happy with the response because it doesn't favour my situation? I don't think I'm biased as I've quite happily used /MM on semi-submersibles and jack-ups in the past.