Strategy to Facilitate U.S. Regulatory Approval for Offshore

Strategy to Facilitate U.S.
Regulatory Approval for
Offshore Asset Life
Extension
MCE Deepwater Development 2015
Presented by
David Hua, ABS Group
Luiz Feijo, ABS
London, UK
March 24, 2015
Topics
Demand for Life Extension
Life Extension Approach
Approach to Facilitate Regulatory
Approval
On-Going Life Extension Case
Studies
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Demand for Life Extension
Reduction of Capex
Expenditure
Extraction of Residual Oil
Out of Ground
New Tiebacks
Source: Offshore Magazine
33
U.S. Regulators
United States Coast Guard
(USCG)
Bureau of Safety and
Environmental
Enforcement (BSEE)
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U.S. Regulatory Approaches to Life Extension
• No specific offshore asset life extension regulations
• Review life extension plans on Case-by-Case
• Require verification by a Certified Verification Agent (CVA) to
ensure comply applicable standards and codes
• Utilize Classification society as a source of CVA due to their
experience from other regions of the world
• Approval based on CVA certification
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Typical Life Extension Diagram for Offshore Assets
Life Extension
Roadmap
Enhanced
Inspection
Program
Mitigation &
Repairs
CVA &
Regulatory
Approval
Baseline
Information
Collection
Engineering
Assessment
66
Case Studies of Floating Asset Life Extension (on going)
Life Extension Plan
Life Extension
Roadmap
Working with CVA
(ABS)
Asset Descriptions
Approach for Class
& Regulatory
Approval
Components
Subject to Life
Extension
Applied Standards,
Codes & Criteria
Life Extension
Scope
77
Case Studies of Floating Asset Life Extension
Life Extension Process
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
Life Extension
Roadmap
Comments
CVA (ABS)
Verification
No
Not certified
Yes
Regulator
Approval
No
Disapproval
Yes
Continue
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Case Studies of Floating Asset Life Extension
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
Baseline Inspection Plan
Baseline Inspections
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
Scope of Engineering & Risk
Assessment
Engineering & Risk
Assessments
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
Plan for Mitigation & Repairs
Mitigation & Repairs
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
CVA Verification &
Regulatory Approval
Enhanced Inspection
Program
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Facilitate U.S. Regulatory Approval
U.S.
Regulatory
Agencies
Life
Extension
Assessments
ABS
(CVA)
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Conclusions
• Working Closely with CVA and Regulatory bodies
• Utilize CVA as a liaison between an operator and
regulators to facilitate regulatory approval
• Process seems to take longer but eliminate potential
rework.
• Process eliminates unnecessary expenditure. Life
extension assessments can stop at any stage of the
process.
• Life extension assessments should start early. Do not
wait until the last minute.
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Authors:
David Hua, Director of Engineering, ABS Group, Houston, TX
1-281-673-2744, DHua@absconsulting.com
Luiz Feijo, Director of Offshore Projects, ABS, Houston, TX
1-281-994-0822, lfeijo@eagle.org
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