PLT OF AN ATX HELI CLBED THROUGH AN OVCST VFR TO ON TOP CONTRARY TO THE FARS DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNC AS REQUIRED BY HIS COMPANY'S OPS PROCS MANUAL. HE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND VFR CONDITIONS IN WHICH TO DSND AND LAND BACK AT HOME BASE.

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PERFORMING AS A COMMERCIAL HELI PLT; CONDUCTING A ROUTINE WORK CREW CHANGE AT AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM; I ENCOUNTERED WX CONDITION OTHER THAN FORECAST. THE COMPANY THAT EMPLOYS ME REQUIRES THAT I TRY TO MAINTAIN 500 FT CEILING AND 3 MI VISIBILITY ENRTE. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN OPS MANUAL REQUIREMENTS; MY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS A 180 DEG TURN TO RETURN TO STARTING POINT. WHILE ENRTE WX DETERIORATED; I PERFORMED A DSCNT TO 300 FT AND VISIBILITY REMAINED 1-2 MI; NOTICED BETTER WX CONDITIONS AND FLEW TO THAT LOCATION IN SEARCH OF AN ALTERNATE PLATFORM IN ORDER TO LAND. THERE WERE NO PLATFORMS IN THE CLR AREA AND FLT VISIBILITY WAS DECLINING DUE TO FOG AND HAZE. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN VFR IN DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS I PERFORMED AN ASCENT TO 1200 FT AND TURNED TO A HDG THAT WOULD RETURN MY ACFT TO COMPANY SHORE BASE. I CONTACTED MY COMPANY FLT FOLLOWING AND INFORMED THEM OF MY STATUS AND INTENTIONS. MY STATUS WAS IFR ON TOP AND INTENTIONS WERE IF POSSIBLE RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS OR PERFORM AN ASR APCH TO LAFAYETTE REGIONAL ARPT. ENRTE I RECEIVED A PIREP THAT STATED VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED 20 MI S OF MY SHORE BASE AND IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THAT LOCATION. UPON ARR I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM A VFR DSCNT AND RETURN TO COMPANY SHORE BASE IN VFR CONDITIONS. I THEN COMPLETED AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY MANUAL AN INCIDENT RPT AND SUBMITTED TO COMPANY CHIEF PLT. I BELIEVE THE PRIMARY FACTOR CONCERNING THIS INCIDENT WAS THE WX. IMPROVING OR INCREASING OFFSHORE WX STATIONS MAY AID IN PREVENTION OF FURTHER SUCH INCIDENTS.