AKAC participated in the full scale ice trials of the newly built R/V Sikuliaq, owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The purpose of the trials was to identify its ability to conduct science missions in ice, as well as to develop operational procedures for conducting independent science missions in ice. This paper gives an overview of the key design features of the R/V Sikuliaq that enable it to conduct science missions in ice, as well as the observations and results from the full scale trials. This paper provides real life experience on the operational performance of a state of the art research vessel. The experiences shared in this paper are applicable to a wide range of operations in ice, including station keeping in ice and towing in ice.

In March 2017, Statoil performed station-keeping trials in drifting ice in the Bay of Bothnia. The anchor handling tug supply vessel Magne Viking, performed station keeping operations in various ice conditions, including managed and non-managed ice. Physical ice management was used to manage the approaching ice to a target condition suitable for the station keeping tests, and to enable other essential operations including deployment and retrieval of the mooring spread and other equipment. Given the objective of the trials, physical ice management activities were performed in such a way to allow investigation of various relevant parameters that influence the managed ice condition. Additional tests were also performed for the sole purpose to assist with validation of Aker Arctic’s ice management software “AIMS”, including tests designed to estimate the performance of the vessels under different ice conditions. This paper focuses on the physical ice management operations performed by the ice management vessel Tor Viking (TV) during the Station Keeping Trials in ice (SKT). Also included is a discussion on how AIMS was used in the planning phase and how simulations compared with actual observations.

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Physical ice management is a critical element of station keeping operations in waters characterized by drifting sea ice: it minimizes ice related downtime. Ice management represents also an important cost driver for Arctic offshore developments. The ice management fleet needs to be assembled considering the particular site, season of interest and corresponding expected environmental conditions, the particular facility capabilities to operate in ice covered waters, and the desired operability of the entire system. The paper describes the physical ice management trials performed during the Offshore Newfoundland Research Expedition in April 2015. These trials were planned and executed with the purpose to generate data to support the development of numerical models for simulating key aspects of the ice management operation. The results of this paper are applicable to ice management fleet design. Particular focus is on Arctic and sub-Arctic areas characterized predominantly by open water, but still containing the risk of sea ice invasions, and vessels expected to operate in such areas. Results from the field trials are presented and discussed. The paper elaborates on the schemes for numerical modeling of ice management, the challenges, and how field trial data can support the development of effective simulation tools.