HOUSTON --The current results of a four-year-long joint industry partnership led by MCS into new standards for the use of flexible pipe in riser systems was released today at the 40th Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.
This would be the first major revision of API and ISO standards in more than 10 years and the study includes new industry experience over that time. The final report is due for completion later this year.
"Risk-based inspection guidelines are scheduled to come from MMS," said Kieran Kavanagh of MCS, "and the draft should be out in a few months with the end of 2009 as a probable implementation date."
The main JIP objectives were to identify the gap between existing guidelines and the state-of-the-art as practiced today. A key focus was to review existing design requirements and testing and then to develop a prospective design philosophy for flexible pipe use in risers.
Results of the study to date include:
• Aligning flexible pipe standards with other standards for offshore tubulars
• Introducing new design criteria for structural layers
• Revising design criteria
• New load capacity design criteria for end fittings
• Proposal to introduce value-creating testing for metallic and polymer materials
•Clarifying the acceptance criteria for Factory Acceptance Testing, qualification and prototype testing
•Developing new prototype scaling relationships.
"Once the new standards are adopted, it is also planned to publish technical reports on specific studies carried out by the JIP to facilitate debate on which concepts can evolve and mature," said Frank Smith, engineering team leader for MCS on the JIP.
05/05/2009
