Saipem must address various irregularities concerning the Scarabeo 8 semisubmersible drilling rig, which came to light during an audit in May by the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil).

The purpose of the audit was to confirm, via spot checks, Saipem Norge’s compliance with HSE regulations related to stability, weather- and watertight integrity, ballast systems, and maintenance of maritime systems on the rig.

Havtil’s team identified seven non-conformities regarding ballast valves, watertight hinged doors, the watertight integrity panel, and marking of ballast-system components; inadequate training for handling stability incidents; maintenance management; and ballast pump capacity after damage.

In addition, the audit highlighted a need for improvement in stability analyses, maintenance of watertight sliding doors, the plan for closing manual weather-tight closures, maintenance of weatherproof doors, and testing of remote closing function for watertight HVAC valves.

Ballast and watertight integrity systems are essential for maintaining a floating rig's stability, particularly during severe weather, damage scenarios and routine offshore operations.

Saipem has until Nov. 16 to explain how it plans to address the non-conformities and to provide feedback on the noted improvement points.