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RS puts safety first in field of oil and gas

Te hydrocarbon resources of Russia form an essential component of the global oil and gas system, with the country’s immense hydrocarbon potential playing a major part in forecasts for oil and gas extraction. Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has a long history of regulating safe operation in the region.

and freezing seas requires processes which ensure environmental safety while searching, exploring and developing hydrocarbon fields. Te harsh weather conditions in the region require innovative technologies to be employed, such as development of new technologies for extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons in severe climate, development of high-tech Arctic LNG carriers, modes of safe carriage of cargo to offshore oil and gas facilities. One such innovative project includes

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development of a “Safety Certificate of an Ice Class Ship” – the one and only multifunction document, it incorporates many years’ experience in technical survey over ice class ships. Te “Certificate” enables the selection of

safe modes of operation in ice conditions under icebreaker assistance as well as the option of independent operation, thus ensuring the integrity of the hull and ship safety. The particular mode is chosen depending on the actual ice conditions, characteristics of the hull’s shape and the entire design of the vessel, its dimensions, displacement and features of the propulsion. Te Certificate will be most useful for new types of vessels, e.g. Arctic LNG carriers as design and construction of this these types of ships requires a multi-criteria strength assessment of the hull’s ice strengthening. The entire package of requirements,

covering damage stability and based on the RS research programme, has been incorporated

in the updated RS Rules for the Classification, Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units [MODUs] and Fixed Offshore Platforms [FOPs], edition 2008. The Rules

are based upon IMO MODU Code; specific International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Unified Requirements (URs), Unified Interpretations (UIs) and recommendations applicable to offshore structures.

he specific nature of oil and gas field development in the offshore area of the Russian Federation, northern

Sovcomflot’s vessel Vasily Dinkov shown at FOIROT Varandey (Credit: Russian Maritime Register of Shipping).

RS Rules for sea-going ships and MODU/

FOP contain requirements for dynamic- positioning (DP) systems and are in accordance with IMO MSC/Circ.645 – Guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning systems, A.1023(26) – MODU Code. Tere are three distinguishing marks in class notation for DP vessels: DYNPOS-1, DYNPOS-2, DYNPOS- 3. RS is now developing new guidelines for the testing of DP systems. An integrated solution on safety issues

is essential to offshore field development programmes in order to successfully meet the challenges of operating in the region. Tus, to accomplish the safety and quality control task during design, construction and operation of offshore oil and gas facilities, RS renders an integrated package of services, enabling the customer to save time and cut costs. Te package of services includes: classification of MODU and FOP, subsea pipelines and floating offshore oil and gas production units; quality control at all stages of offshore development, including design, construction, operation and utilisation; verification of project documentation for offshore development facilities for compliance with the regulatory requirements accepted for the project; industrial safety expertise of project documentation and technical devices being the part of offshore development facilities;

Offshore Marine Technology 2nd Quarter 2010

certification of materials and products used in offshore development within the GOST R system. RS has long experience in the safe operation

of MODUs. RS surveyors took an active part in projects which the former USSR had realised in oil and gas searching, exploration and extraction in the Caspian, Black, Azov, Baltic and Barents Seas, as well as in the offshore area of Sakhalin Island. RS has been engaged in classification and survey activities during the design, construction and operation of different types of MODU since the 1970s and dozens of MODU built under RS survey have been in operation on the continental shelf. An integrated approach to the safe

development of oil and gas fields, including survey of all stages of an offshore project for compliance with the certain national and international safety requirements is the top priority in RS offshore activities. Offshore oil and gas field development facilities include MODU, and FOPs of different purposes, as well as subsea pipelines, subsea production facilities, risers, offloading single-point moorings, floating production, storage and offloading units.

Risk analysis

Regulatory documents and stringent controls on meeting requirements are necessary to

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