These results emerge from the annual report from the DSYS diving database maintained by the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil), which presents statistics and analyses of data for 1985-2023.
Offshore saturation diving
Hours spent by divers in saturation on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) and other continental shelves under Norwegian jurisdiction in 2023 amounted to 326 diving support vessel (DSV) days – calendar days with divers in saturation – and are somewhat higher than in 2022.
In addition to the near-miss incidents, three medical treatments (skin) and three suspected ear infections were reported during saturation diving in 2023.
Surface-oriented diving
A total of 51 vessel days with manned underwater operations (MUO) – calendar days with divers mobilised on a vessel – were reported during the year, with 171 hours spent in the water.
No incidents were reported from surface-oriented diving on the NCS in 2023.
Diving at land plants
Diving activity at land plants has also been reported to the DSYS since 2022.
A total of 39 MUO vessel days with surface-oriented diving, involving 309 work hours in the water, were reported at such facilities during 2023, a virtual halving compared with the year before. No incidents were reported.
Compared with work in saturation, the level of activity for surface-oriented diving has been generally low offshore over the past 25 years. However, it is expected to increase somewhat because of the new industries emerging on the NCS.
Definitions
Saturation diving: Divers work from a bell which transports them under pressure from a chamber on the vessel to their subsea workplace. They remain under compression in the surface chamber between spells of work (bell runs).
Surface-oriented diving: Divers enter the water at the surface, do their work at the relevant depth (less than 50 metres beneath the sea surface) and return. Extra compression/ decompression in a chamber at the surface can form part of such dives.