JIP developing deepwater equipment installation guidelines

June 29, 2012
A DNV-managed joint industry project (JIP) is investigating certification requirements for fiber rope-based deepwater installation systems.

Offshore staff

EAST KILBRIDE, UK – A DNV-managed joint industry project (JIP) is investigating certification requirements for fiber rope-based deepwater installation systems.

Phase 1 identified generic certification needs for new technology. Currently, a first issue of a draft standard for system certification, DNV-OS-E407 “Offshore Deployment & Recovery Systems”, is in preparation.

In Phase 2, the JIP partners plan to identify product-specific requirements for subsea deployment and recovery operations.

During Phase 3, results from Phase 2 will be used to update the draft document, and will include methodologies for argumentation of assurance cases (including safety) in the integrated system reliability methods.

“As operators go to greater depths so the challenge of installing heavy subsea equipment safely is a growing concern,” said Gregor McPherson, sales director of JIP participant Caley Ocean Systems.

The final DNV-OS-E407 standard will have a wider scope than the types of fiber-based systems covered in the JIP. Other equipment covered by the new standard will include subsea systems using steel-wire ropes and hang-off systems using fiber ropes as pendants to extend the reach of an offshore crane.

6/29/2012