Development of Guidelines and Standards for Life Extension
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The document outlines the development of guidelines and standards for the life extension of Norwegian offshore oil and gas facilities, which have often surpassed their initial design life. It emphasizes the importance of technical and operational integrity for ensuring safety, environmental protection, and uninterrupted revenue for owners and the government. The guidelines include a structured approach to assess the integrity of various systems and are intended to facilitate the application process for extending operational consent for aging installations.
Development of Guidelines and Standards for Life Extension
- 1. Development of Guidelines and Standards for Life Extension PSA Seminar on Aging and Life Extension 07 April 2010 Knut Thorvaldsen Director HSE & Operations Norwegian Oil Industry Association www.olf.no
- 2. Contents Introduction and background Scope of work Deliveries 2
- 3. Introduction Extended lifetime • A large part of the Norwegian oil and gas production facilities have reached their initial design life, but the respective fields are still producing substantial levels of hydrocarbons. Technical and operational integrity • OLF has initiated a project to establish the necessary standards and guidelines for assessing and ensuring safe life extensions 3
- 4. Initiation Consent to operate • Installations and pipelines are often designed for the initial consent period and maintained with the same time frame in mind. Need for standardisation • The PSA recognised the need for a standardised approach to assessment of the integrity of such facilities Developed tools • OLF developed tools in order to make the assessment, application and evaluation processes cost efficient. 4
- 5. Working method 3.5 years of work • Work groups were formed for each area, and were chaired by, and consisted of, representatives from OLF oil & gas companies Defined scope • When the scope had been defined for the standards, an engineering and consulting companies were hired in to develop a documents described in the scope. 5
- 6. Important work Technical and operational integrity of offshore facilities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) is important for: • the safety, health and welfare of offshore employees and their families • not harming the environment • making sure that the owners get no interruption of their revenues, nor do the government and the citizens of the country 6
- 7. Complex issue 7
- 8. Age vs status on application for consent • Number of installations on the NCS excl. pipelines: 103 • Number of consents expiring by end 2015: 44 • Number of new consents given (incl. 1 expiring 2015): 26 • Number of applications being prepared / handled: 7 • Number of applications due? 1 • Number of installations shut down: 2 • Removed/ Disposed of, additional to the 103 5 • Disposal approved 7 8
- 9. Norwegian pipelines First installations (year) 1971 Total number of items in database : 920 Cumulated length of large pipelines (km): 6 100 Large variations in length, size and design life Lengths: 23 km - 1 200 km Diameter (inches): 1’’ – 44’’ Design lifetime (years) : 5 - 50 9
- 10. Scope of work Work divided in two: • Firstly to develop and issue recommended guidelines, outlining a proposal for the preparation of the application of a new consent; • Then to develop tools necessary to assess continued safe operation. Split in the following areas: • Structural integrity • Risk management • Working environment • Technical safety systems • Drilling & well systems • Top side process & utility systems • Transport systems (pipelines etc.) • Sub sea systems 10
- 11. Consent Applications for Lifetime Extension of Facilities Scope of the OLF guideline for assessments and preparation of applications OLF guideline Main Document No. 122 Published in June 2008 Sub- Documents Drilling & Well Drilling systems and Well Permanente structures Structural integrity, including Integrity Systems conductors, BOP and down Check List hole equipment Norsok std Published in May 2008 Published May 2008 Transport Process & Export and intra field Pipelines and risers. Systems Utility Systems Norsok std Check List Emergency Shutdown, Evacuation, Risk management Underwater Barriers, Fire and Gas Detection and other Technical Safety safety systems. installations Living Quarters, Escape Ways, Material Systems & Norsok std and Chemicals Handling , Control Rooms, Man machine interfaces. Working Environment Consent Applications for Life Extension of Facilities are submitted to the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway and Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). 11
- 12. Deliveries 12
- 13. Guideline for the assessment and documentation of service life extension of facilities Three chapters • Outlines a proposal for the preparation of the application of renewed consent required prior to use of a facility exceeding the current consent period • The guideline identifies how the operators can assess and document safe operation of facilities for an extended period • Facilitate the preparation the Application for Consent for Life Extension Start early • It is recommended to start the evaluation and application process at least two years prior to the expiry of the current consent period 13
- 14. Technical Integrity • Normally it is possible to safely operate an installation beyond its calculated fatigue life by The fatigue life is using the inspection results available calculated based on the following crack growth equation from BS 7910 • For structural details that can not be inspected, recommendations are given in the af standard. =C(∆ ) N da ∫⎛ σ m ∆K ⎞ m ⎜Y πa− th ⎟ ai • Piles securing the installation to the sea bed are an example of such structural elements ⎝ σ ∆ ⎠ • Specific requirements to design fatigue factors for calculation of fatigue damage from driving are given, based on driving records 14
- 15. 1. Structural Integrity for Existing Offshore Load-Bearing Structures New Norsok Standard – issued 2008 • NORSOK N-006 standard gives requirements for assessment of the structural integrity of offshore structures in-service and for life extension • NORSOK N-006 is applicable to all types of offshore structures used in the petroleum activities, including bottom founded structures as well as floating structures. 15
- 16. 2. Drilling & Well Systems Checklist - issued 2008 General considerations and requirements: • Brief status on drilling facilities & wells • Main degradation mechanisms and corresponding control measures relating to “Safety Critical Equipment” • Well integrity situation and potential changes in the related risk-picture • Potential well stimulation, intervention & work over methods/ limits • Future activity level and modification plans • Future capabilities required to monitor, access, operate, maintain and abandon drilling- and well facilitiesCondition of utility systems to support future D&W activities • Future capabilities to serve for potential “tie-ins” and specific measures for enhanced petroleum recovery in the area 16
- 17. 3. Transport systems, Pipelines Etc A new Norsok Standard - being issued spring 2010. The transport system in this context is facilitating transport through pipelines, risers and loading hoses intra-field, inter-field and as trunk pipelines to shore and onshore. 17
- 18. 4. Top Side Process and Utility Systems Checklist - issued 2009 A list of systems that should be addressed during assessing life extension of top side’s process and utility systems has been established • Containing “common factors” to be considered when evaluating the integrity of process and utility systems. • Have conditions changed from when the system was designed? • Will future operations still be within the capabilities of the system? • Could specific studies be required (list typical studies for individual systems) 18
- 19. 5. Risk Management, Technical Safety Systems and Working Environment Checklist - issued 2009 • Gives detailed comments and recommendations for the assessment of facilities concerning the areas outlined • recommends Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) and necessary sensitivity studies to be updated addressing the scenario and operating conditions envisaged during the life extension period • Evaluations of factors that may be expected to change over time should be included in the sensitivity evaluations. 19
- 20. 6. Sub Sea systems • A new Norsok Standard is being issued spring 2010. • Subsea systems are increasingly used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and this standard is prepared to support the process of assuring technical integrity of the sub sea system and its elements beyond the original approved service life. 17
- 21. Conclusion The guidelines, standards and checklists developed through this project will provide valuable assistance to offshore facility owners and authorities when assessing the condition of aging facilities, and if they can be safely operated for a new consent period. 20