Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – ABB’s Engineering and Consulting Group has overseen a project designed to allow offshore duty holders to better plan and manage safety cases and major accident hazards in the decommissioning and dismantling of platforms.
The company led a joint industry project (JIP) to developsafety case guidance and technology solutions during end of life, decommissioning and dismantling of offshore installations.
The resultant document provides guidance to duty holders on maintaining compliance with the Safety Case Regulations (SCR2015) during end of life, decommissioning and dismantling.
Guidance for UK Safety Case Management during End of Life, Decommissioning and Dismantling was launched this week at Offshore Europe.
Trish Sentance, health and safety manager at industry association Oil & Gas UK, said: “TheUK oil and gas industry is beginning to see an increase in the number of installations moving towards decommissioning and final dismantlement. A fresh look at the identification and management of the hazards is required during this phase; as is the recording of this information in the installation’s safety case as required by the UK regulations.”
Operators and industry trade bodies contributed to the new guidance, which is based on experience from current and recently completed decommissioning projects.
Decom North Sea CEO Roger Esson said: “The more we can encourage this type of engagement within decommissioning, the more we will see sector cost reductions over the coming decades.”
Steve Andrew, ABB’s head of decommissioning, added: “The JIP has demonstrated the value of industry collaboration, allowing both operators and suppliers to learn from their experiences and those of others to develop this guidance. It proves that collaboration works when you have a team of likeminded people working towards a common goal.”
The document outlines the benefits of an early start to decommissioning preparations and the value of maintaining a strong working relationship with regulators and verifiers. ABB oversaw the JIP in collaboration with Genesis Oil and Gas, various operators and suppliers, Oil & Gas UK and the ITF.
The JIP will pursue further avenues to develop technology aimed at reducing facility running costs by between 30 and 50%.
09/08/2017
