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| Participants pose outside of MarineSafety International’s Newport, RI location. MarineSafety operates another Simulator Learning Center in Norfolk, VA. |
(NEWPORT, RI — October 12, 2007) Pilots and tug masters who will guide LNG carriers into the new LNG receipt terminal at Costa Azul in Mexico attended special training at MarineSafety International’s Newport Simulator Center in September. The center utilizes the latest state-of-the-art simulation techniques to provide a realistic decision-making environment without real-world risks.
Energía Costa Azul, a terminal being constructed as an LNG receiving facility, is located north of Ensenada on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Sempra LNG contracted with MarineSafety to model the terminal with its offshore breakwater in order to test its navigability and to provide training for the pilots and tug masters who will work there. The terminal will become operational in early 2008.
The ship simulation at Energía Costa Azul presented a unique challenge as MarineSafety had to model the waves and swell of the open Pacific Ocean surging against the man-made breakwater and the resulting patterns of reflective waves.
Portions of the training included integrated exercises in which a ship’s bridge simulator, configured as an LNG Carrier, joined interactively with an ASD tug simulator. Pilots maneuvering the ships were thereby able to train directly with the tug masters.
