cutting edge > oiL&gAs FRontieRs 31
deeP WAteR dePLoyMent the future has arrived when it comes to the challenges of installing subsea equipment in the oil and gas sector. ship-mounted systems capable of performing installation work with precision at 3,000 metres in depth need new standard-setting, both in terms of integrated systems technology and for documentation of safety and reliability over time. this is exactly what dnV’s deepwater deployment and Recovery systems JiP project set out to address. As the oil operator with responsibility for field development knows, the safety and reliability of these systems is crucial. DeePWater CHalleNges developers and users of new technology have a quandary. existing standards often impose detrimental restrictions on flexibility, flexibility needed for development. engineers and developers grapple for appropriate reference documentation as a basis for standard-setting. Yet, more often than not, the project team is left working with standards or recommended practices that do not cover the technology they are working to develop. the reason? compliance standard setting takes time. in the area of deep water deployment and recovery, the technology required must be exceptionally light-weight and utilize synthetic materials. Any effective standard must be both comprehensive and interdependent. Safety and reliability are achieved after integrated system analysis using technology qualification principles.
+ FACTS AND FIGURES:
OUr sOlUtiON dnv’s approach was a return to fundamentals. the result is a new standard, dnv-OS-e407, underwater deployment & Recovery Systems. enhanced methods for technology qualification were used. the new standard requires testing of the relevance of existing standards and practices to facilitate the new development process by ensuring the freedom of the developers. the new standard requires engaged, deep integration of the skills of system integrators, mechanical systems manufacturers, control and instrumentation suppliers and suppliers of offshore fibre ropes and their loadbearing yarns and internal coating. the project is a Joint industry Project with global partners, now in Phase 2. the new standard brings partnering industries together in a technology qualification setting. traceability and documentation of system performance is enabled, and the capability of the system is carefully matched to the needs of the installation contractor, who will perform the actual work in a field development project. tHe resUlt the new standard dnv-OS-e407 ‘underwater deployment & Recovery Systems’ will be published in October 2012, and will provide the industry with the requirements it needs to identify and prioritise development activities, plans for implementation and condition management. As well, it provides a framework for certification.
Fibre Rope Technology Improvement
Improvement
Deepwater Deployment & Recovery
Offshore Moorings
For the past 15 years, dnV has been working actively on the development of fibre rope technology for offshore mooring on behalf of the industry. now the developments made in one application area can be used to shape the developments in another application area. As it was the general marine fibre rope technology that was developed by the industry into offshore mooring lines, that experience can now be used to further deepwater installation, which in turn will benefit mooring line technology or lines for general marine use. (see circle.)
Improvement
PRoJect MAnAgeR ViDar ÅHJeM Vidar Åhjem is a senior specialist in his 21st year at dnV, working in technical Advisory ship & offshore in norway, location Høvik. the first 11 years he worked for dnV’s specialised large-scale test facility for mooring equipment in Bergen, gaining experience from failure investigation and testing, and where he took part in the testing and qualification of the earliest fibre mooring systems some 15 years ago. From that time and up to now he has taken part in the establishing of the Bergen facility as the global market leader. Vidar has been responsible for the dnV publications pertaining to offshore fibre moorings, and has learned a lot from working together with this industry and helping it move forward for the past 15 years. He has an interest in applying technology qualification principles in providing added value for the clients, and an interest for what can be learned in one industry and applied in another.