Out of the blue one day I was offered a position as marine co-ordinator on the FPSO MODEC Venture 1 working in the Timor Gap.

So early January 2005, just two weeks after the Asian tsunami I flew from Phuket to Jakarta by way of Bangkok. Stayed the night in Jakarta then next day on to Dili in East Timor. Stayed another night in the UN floating hotel and the next day flew to the FPSO MODEC Venture 1 by helicopter.

The flexible underwater pieplinea were being serviced by a dive vessel close to the external turret which the Venture 1 was connected to so a tug was made fast to the stern to keep the Venture 1 drifting towards the dive ship. My job was to co-ordinate the ships when and how required. Turned out the easiest and best paid job I ever had but only lasted two weeks before making my way back to Phuket.

The FPSO MODEC Venture 1 is a converted tanker with a disconnectable external turret. MODEC operated the FPSO in the Elang/Kakatua/Kakatua North oil fields in the Timor Gap JPDA (Joint Petroleum Development Area) from August 1998 to July 2007 for ConocoPhillips.