These results appear from the annual report from Havtil's DSYS diving database. The report contains statistics and analyses based on data from 1985 to 2024.
Saturation diving offshore
In 2024, 79,613 man-hours were reported in saturation in respect of diving on the NCS and foreign shelves under Norwegian jurisdiction. This corresponds to 263 MUO DSV days (calendar days with divers in saturation) and represents a reduction in diving activity compared to 2022 and 2023.
A total of two near-misses, one medical intervention (muscular), six suspected ear infections and two cases of influenza were reported in association with saturation diving in 2024.
Surface-oriented diving
For surface-oriented diving offshore in 2024, 42 MUO vessel days (calendar days with divers mobilised on a vessel) were reported, with 183 man-hours spent in the water.
Three serious incidents of decompression sickness and one case of barotrauma (ear squeeze) were reported from surface-oriented diving on the NCS in 2024.
Diving at onshore facilities
As of 2022, diving activity has also been reported to the diving database for onshore facilities.
For surface-oriented diving at onshore facilities, 120 MUO days were reported, with 306 man-hours in the water. No incidents were reported in connection with diving at onshore facilities in 2024. The activity level is similar to 2023, but the number of MUO days has risen drastically due to many small, short assignments compared to 2023.
Compared to saturation diving, the activity level for surface-oriented diving offshore is generally low, and this has been the case for the past 25 years.
Definitions
Saturation diving: The diver works from a diving bell that transports the diver under pressure from the chamber on the vessel to the subsea worksite. The diver is under pressure in the chamber of the diving vessel between the work periods (bell runs).
Surface-oriented diving: The diver enters the water at the surface, performs the work at the relevant depth (less than 50 metres beneath the sea surface), and returns to the surface. Extra compression/decompression in a chamber at the surface may form part of such dives.