alistairmaclean.seawitch-第1部分

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　IWORMALLY　there　are　only　two　types　of　marine　machines　concerned　with　the　discovery　and　recovery　of　oil　from　under　the　ocean　floor。　The　first；　mainly　engaged　in　the　discovery　of　oil；　is　a　self…propelled　vessel；　sometimes　of　very　considerable　size。　Apart　from　its　towering　drilling　derrick；　it　is　indistinguishable　from　any　oceangoing　cargo　vessel；　its　purpose　is　to　drill　boreholes　in　areas　where　seismological　and　geological　studies　suggest　oil　may　exist。　The　technical　operation　of　this　activity　is　highly　plex；　yet　these　vessels　have　achieved　a　remarkable　level　of　success。　However；　they　suffer　from　two　major　drawbacks。　Although　they　are　equipped　with　the　most　advanced　and　sophisticated　navigational　equipment；　including　bowthrust　propellers；　for　them　to　maintain　position　in　running　seas；　strong　tides　and　winds　when　boring　can　be　extremely　difficult；　and　in　really　heavy　weather　operations　have　to　be　suspended。
　For　the　actual　drilling　of　oil　and　its　recovery…　principally　its　recovery…the　so…called　〃jack…up　system〃　is　in　almost　universal　use。　This　system　has　to　be　towed　into　position；　and　consists　basically　of　a　platform　which　carries　the　drilling　rig；　cranes；　helipads　and　all　essential　services；　including　living　acmodations；　and　is　attached　to　the　seabed　by　firmly　anchored　legs。　In　normal　conditions　it　is　extremely　effective；　but　like　the　discovery　ships　it　has　drawbacks。　It　is　not　mobile。　It　has　to　suspend　operations　in　even　moderately　heavy　weather。　And　it　can　be　used　only　in　paratively　shallow　water：　the　deepest　is　in　the　North　Sea；　where　most　of　those　rigs　are　to　be　found。　This　North　Sea　rig　stands　in　about　450　feet　of　water；　and　the　cost　of　increasing　the　length　of　those　legs　would　be　so　prohibitive　as　to　make　oil　recovery　quite　uneconomical；　even　though　Americans　have　plans　to　construct　a　rig　with　800…foot　legs　off　the　California　Coast。　There　is　also　the　unknown　safety　factor。　Two　such　rigs　have　already　been　lost　in　the　North　Sea。　The　cause　of　those　disasters　has　not　been　clearly　evaluated；　although　it　is　suspected；　obviously
　Sea　witch
　not　without　basis；　that　there　may　have　been　design；　structural　or　metallic　faults　in　one　or　more　of　the　legs。
　And　then　there　is　the　third　type　of　oil　rig…　the　TLP…technically；　the　tension　leg　drilling/　production　platform。　At　the　time　of　this　story　there　was　only　one　of　its　type　in　the　world。　The　platform；　the　working　area；　was　about　the　size　of　a　football　field…if；　that　is；　one　can　imagine　a　triangular　football　field；　for　the　platform　was；　in　fact；　an　equilateral　triangle。　The　deck　was　not　made　of　steel　but　of　a　uniquely　designed　ferroconcrete；　specially　developed　by　a　Dutch　shipbuilding　pany。　The　supports　for　this　massive　platform　had　been　designed　and　built　in　England　and　consisted　of　three　enormous　steel　legs；　each　at　one　corner　of　the　structure；　the　three　being　joined　together　by　a　variety　of　horizontal　and　diagonal　hollow　cylinders；　the　total　bination　offering　such　tremendous　buoyancy　that　the　working　platform　they　supported　was　out　of　reach　of　even　the　highest　waves。
　From　each　of　the　bases　of　the　three　legs；　three　massive　steel　cables　extended　to　the　base　of　the　ocean　floor；　where　each　triple　set　was　attached　to　large　sea…floor　anchors。　Powerful　motors　could　raise　or　lower　these　cables；　so　that　the　anchors　could　be　lowered　to　a　depth　two　or　three　times　that　of　most　modern　fixed　oil　derricks；　which　meant　that　this　rig　could　operate　at　depths　far　out　on　the　continental　shelf。
　
　The　TLP　had　other　very　considerable　advantages。
　Its　great　buoyancy　put　the　anchor　cables　under　constant　tension；　and　this　tension　practically　eliminated　the　heaving；　pitching　and　rolling　of　the　platform。　Thus　the　rig　could　continue　operating　in　very　severe　storms；　storms　that　would　automatically　stop　production　on　any　other　type　of　derrick。
　It　was　also　virtually　immune　to　the　effects　ot　an　undersea　earthquake。
　It　was　also　mobile。　It　had　only　to　up　anchors　and　move　to　potentially　more　productive　areas。
　And　pared　to　standard　oil　rigs；　its　cost　of　establishing　position　in　any　given　spot　was　so　negligible　as　to　be　worth　no　more　than　a　passing　mention。
　The　name　of　the　TLP　was　Seawitch。
　JO
　
　Chapter　1
　IN　certain　places　and　among　certain　people；　the　Seawitch　was　a　very　bad　name　indeed。　But；　overwhelmingly；　their　venom　was　reserved　for　a　certain　Lord　Worth；　a　multi…some　said　bulti…　millionaire；　chairman　and　sole　owner　of　North　Hudson　Oil　pany　and；　incidentally；　owner　of　the　Seawitch。　When　his　name　was　mentioned　by　any　of　the　ten　men　present　at　that　shoreside　house　on　Lake　Tahoe；　it　was　in　tones　of　less　than　hushed　reverence。
　Their　meeting　was　announced　in　neither　the　national　nor　local　press。　This　was　due　to　two　factors。　The　delegates　arrived　and　departed　either　singly　or　in　couples；　and　among　the　heterogeneous　summer　population　of　Lake　Tahoe　such　ings　and　goings　went　unremarked　or　were　ignored。　More　importantly；　the　delegates　to　the　meeting　were　understandably　reluctant　that　their　assembly　bee　mon　knowledge。　The　day　was　Friday　the　thirteenth；　a　date　that　boded　no　good　for　someone。
　There　were　nine　delegates　present；　plus　their　host。　Four　of　them　mattered；　but　only　two　seriously…Corral；　who　represented　the　oil　and　mineral　leases　in　the　Florida　area；　and　Benson；　who　represented　the　rigs　off　Southern　California。
　Of　the　other　six；　only　two　mattered。　One　was　Patinos　of　Venezuela；　the　other；　known　as　Borosoff；　of　Russia；　whose　interest　in　American　oil　supplies　could　only　be　regarded　as　minimal。　It　was　widely　assumed　among　the　others　that　his　only　interest　in　attending　the　meeting　was　to　stir　up　as　much　trouble　as　possible；　an　assumption　that　was　probably　correct。
　All　ten　were；　in　various　degrees；　suppliers　of　oil　to　the　United　States　and　had　one　mon　interest：　to　see　that　the　price　of　those　supplies　did　not　drop。　The　last　thing　they　ah*　wanted　to　see　was　an　oil…value　depreciation。
　Benson；　whose　holiday　home　this　was　and　who　was　nominally　hosting　the　meeting；　opened　the　discussion。
　〃Gentlemen；　does　anyone　have　any　objections　if　I　bring　a　third　party…that　is；　a　man　who　represents　neither　ourselves　nor　Lord　Worth…into　this　meeting？〃
　Practically　everyone　had；　and　there　were　some　moments　of　bedlamic　confusion：　they　had　not　only　objections　but　very　strong　ones　at　that。
　Borosoff；　the　Russian；　said：　〃No；　It　is　too　dangerous。〃　He　glanced　around　the　group　with　calculated　suspiciousness。　〃There　are　already　too　many　of　us　privy　to　these　discussions。〃
　Benson；　who　had　not　bee　head　of　one　of　Europe's　biggest　oil　panies；　a　British…based　one；　just　because　someone　had　handed　him　the　job　as　a　birthday　present；　could　be　disconcertingly　blunt。
　〃You；　Borosoff；　are　the　one　with　the　slenderest　claims　to　be　present　at　this　meeting。　You　might　well　bear　that　in　mind。　Name　your　suspect。〃　Borosoff　remained　silent。　〃Remember；　gentlemen；　the　objective　of　this　meeting…to　maintain；　at　least；　the　present　oil…price　levels。　The　OPEC　is　now　actively　considering　hiking　the　oil　prices。　。That　doesn't　hurt　us　much　here　hi　the　U。S。…　we'll　just　hike　our　own　prices　and　pass　them　on　to　the　public。〃
　Patinos　said：　〃You're　every　bit　as　unscrupulous　and　ruthless　as　you　claim　us　to　be。〃
　〃Realism　is　not　the　same　as　rathlessness。　Nobody's　going　to　hike　anything　while　North　Hudson　is　around。　They　are　already　undercutting　us；　the　majors。　A　slight　pinch；　but　we　feel　it。　If　we　raise　our　prices　more　and　his　remain　steady；　the　slight　pinch　is　going　to　increase。　And　if　he　gets　some　more　TLPs　into　operation；　then　the　pinch　will　begin　to　hurt。　It　will　also　hurt　the　OPEC；　for　the　demand　for　your　products　will　undoubtedly　fall　off。
　〃We　all　subscribe　to　the　gentlemen's　agreement　among　major　oil　panies　that　they　will　not　prospect　for　oil　in　international　waters…that　is　to　say；　outside　their　own　legally　and　internationally　recognized　territorial　limits。　Without　observance　of　this　agreement；　the　possibilities　of　legal；　diplomatic；　political　and　international　strife；　ranging　from　scenes　of　political　violence　to　outright　armed　confrontation；　are　only　too　real。　Let　us　suppose　that　Nation　A…as　some　countries　have　already　done…claims　all　rights　for　all　waters　a　hundred　miles　offshore　from　its　coasts。　Let　us　further　suppos