Health & Safety
New guidance for OSVs Increased sophistication within the offshore support vessel (OSV) market has prompted leading classification society ABS to develop standalone guidance for these more specialised yet multi- functional vessels. Newly developed criteria and relevant existing rule requirements have been consolidated into the ABS ‘Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Support Vessels’. ABS classes approximately one-third of the worldwide OSV fleet and in the past had reviewed these specialised vessels by following the ABS ‘Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels Under 90 Metres (295 feet) in Length’. Te new OSV guide will be applicable to OSVs of all sizes and includes specific guidance for the various segments of the global support vessel market. “Today’s support vessels are a far cry from
previous designs sharing the same name,” says Mike Sano who leads the society’s OSV market sector group. “As the search for oil and gas moves into deeper waters, along with increased activity in the renewable offshore energy market, more specialised and technically advanced types of OSVs are needed for various support roles.” ABS engineers are reviewing plans for some of the most technically advanced OSVs being proposed. Recent specialised multi-purpose designed vessels carry out maintenance and
repairs on platforms, facilities and subsea piping, equipment and systems. Te new requirements from ABS are tailored for these new generation vessels. “Te guide takes a comprehensive approach
toward OSV design,” says Wei Huang, ABS manager, offshore technology and principal author of the guide. “New categories of offshore service types such as well intervention and oil spill recovery vessels are included along with updates for advances in specialised equipment.”
Te OSV guide consists of four major sections: scope and conditions of classification; hull construction and equipment; machinery and systems; and offshore support services. Material and welding, strengthening for navigation in ice, and survey during and after construction are referenced from the ABS ‘Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels’. Te intent here is to evolve the ABS ‘Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Support Vessels’ into rules during the society’s next rule making cycle. Included in the OSV Guide are explanations of notations reflecting specialised capabilities such as transportation of supplies and equipment, towing and anchoring of offshore structures, fire fighting, diving, oil spill recovery, safety standby rescue, pipe laying, handling heavy surface and subsea loads, well intervention, well stimulation, well test and wind farm support. ●
Circle 69 or ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/iog M-2007-05-06.1.4
AICS3.ai
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