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Title: AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Reference number: 4209

Date: 1974*

Director: d. Douglas Coopey

Sponsor: Brown & Root-Wimpey Highlands Fabricators Ltd

Production company: Highland Film Unit

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 23.50 mins

Description: A record of the construction of 'Highland Two', second of two major oil drilling and production structures for British Petroleum's Forties Field, at the Nigg yard of Highlands Fabricators. The film follows the engineering techniques employed, enabling completion of the structure seven weeks ahead of schedule.

Credits: title m. Rosshire Schools Band
conductor Bill Beaton, by kind permission of Arthur Brocklebank, Director of Music, Highland Region
filming and direction by Doug Coopey, Highland Film Unit, Aberdeen
ph. Douglas Coopey
post-production facilities Group Five
A Brown & Root-Wimpey Highlands Fabricators Ltd Production

Shotlist: (00.00) credits (0.06) various views Highland Two being floated (0.29) title (0.36) c/u structure (0.46) on behalf of BP Dr Jack Birks the Managing Director of BP Trading Ltd. paid tribute to those who had built it, speech at podium (0.53) gvs crowds attending and ls structure (1.26) February 1975; pan over structure of H 2 at 5 weeks (1.37) shots welders at work (1.59) gvs welders at work on the structure; gvs new 'toast rack' configuration of interior brace members, intercut with men at work (2.29) c/u catwalks welded temporarily to sections before lifting, reducing the amount of scaffolding required (2.40) gvs crane operator lifts huge panel into position, as engineers look on (3.44) quayside, where a 'pile cluster' is being manoeuvred to offloading point (4.01) shots of barge de-ballasting (4.35) Second week of April; more than half finished. shots of the second conductor panel; cranes' cable drum being wound in preparation; eight crawler cranes are used to move the panel; ms a bogie in centre to take load (6.33) cabin of gantry crane; view from same over the large section (7.06) ms teams of welders weld ladders onto the panel; riggers start to position the lifting slings (7.18) view over site; lifting begins and the structure is moved to a vertical position (8.28) c/u welder (8.38) gvs site lit up at night; radio communication between cranes during lift (9.46) aerial tacking shots of site in snow (10.07) upper leg assembly is moved into the structure, gvs from crane cabin, radio controllers (11.10) ms Willie MacDonald operating the gantry crane; view from same; gvs lift of section and c/u docking sections (11.47) Second week of May. drill bit conductor tubes are fitted into frame; gvs welding etc and general work (12.42) lower leg and pile cluster supports being hoisted into position (13.03) May 21st: heaviest lift in the project, 950 tonnes; c/u's engineers check every detail; gvs the pile cluster is raised 100ft and then moved onto supports on the jacket (16.11) gvs structure on May 29th, Cromarty Firth in b/ground(16.27) welders at work (16.37) leaders of American petroleum industry walkabout yard and are amazed at the speed of construction, they are led by their host, Sir Philip Southwell, Chairman of Highland Fabricators, and gvs of construction (17.05) scaffolders prepare stabiliser sphere, they are welded to jacket, view from crane cabin as the sphere is lifted and docking is completed (18.53) June 12th, winch operators and riggers co-ordinate the pull through of the top pin piles (19.42) gvs of the completed jacket 156; 'a record-breaking 156 days of co-operative effort between men and management' (19.54) June 21st gvs of people there to celebrate the finishing of the structure. Mrs Margaret Lilley, wife of BP's offshore general manager, christens the jacket. Sir Philip Southwell and Managing Director Kevin Barrie escort her to rostrum and christens it, and crowds applaud (20.45) 23rd orders to flood the dock is received and gvs same, carefully controlled (21.18) after 17 hours the jacket is floated; June 26th gvs float out (22.08) dusk Highland Two waits for the moment of departure and at dawn opens to sea and near midnight float out begins; gvs same in darkness (23.15) Highland 2 heads towards Forties Field (23.31) ecs (23.50)