Development of Guidelines and Standards for Life Extension
Knut Thorvaldsen Director HSE & OperationsNorwegian Oil Industry Associationwww.olf.no
PSA Seminar on Aging and Life Extension07 April 2010
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
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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.
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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, engineering and consulting companies were hired in to develop documents described in the scope.
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Important workTechnical and operational integrity ofoffshore facilities on the NorwegianContinental Shelf (NCS) is importantfor:
• 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
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Age vs status on application for consent
• Number of installations on the NCS excl. pipelines:
• Number of consents expiring by end 2015:
• Number of new consents given (incl. 1 expiring 2015):
• Number of applications being prepared / handled:
• Number of applications due?
• Number of installations shut down:
• Removed/ Disposed of, additional to the 103
• Disposal approved
103
44
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1
2
5
7
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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
Scope of workWork 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
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Consent Applications for Lifetime Extension of FacilitiesScope of the OLF guideline for assessments and preparation of applications
Structural Integrity
Norsok stdPublished May 2008
Transport SystemsNorsok std
Underwater installations
Norsok std
Drilling & WellSystems
Check List Published in May 2008
OLF guidelineNo. 122
Published in June 2008
Permanente structures
Export and intra field Pipelines and risers.
Drilling systems and Well integrity, including conductors, BOP and down hole equipment
Risk managementTechnical Safety
Systems & Working
Environment
Emergency Shutdown, Evacuation, Barriers, Fire and Gas Detection and other safety systems. Living Quarters, Escape Ways, Material and Chemicals Handling , Control Rooms, Man machine interfaces.
Process & Utility Systems
Check List
Consent Applications for Life Extension of Facilities are submitted to the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway and Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).
Main Document
Sub- Documents
Guideline for the assessment and documentation of service life extension of facilitiesThree 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 of 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
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Technical Integrity
• Normally it is possible to safely operate an installation beyond its calculated fatigue life by using the inspection results available
• For structural details that can not be inspected, recommendations are given in the standard.
• Piles securing the installation to the sea bed are an example of such structural elements
• Specific requirements to design fatigue factors for calculation of fatigue damage from driving are given, based on driving records
( ) NCK
aY
da ma
am
th
f
i
σ
σπ
∆=
∆∆
−∫
The fatigue life is calculated based on the following crack growth equation from BS 7910
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1. Structural Integrity for Existing Offshore Load-Bearing StructuresNew 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 structuresas well as floating structures.
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2. Drilling & Well SystemsChecklist - 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
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3. Transport systems, Pipelines Etc
A new Norsok Standard - being issued spring 2010.
The transport system in this context is facilitating transport through pipelines, risersand loading hoses intra-field, inter-field and as trunk pipelines to shore and onshore.
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4. Top Side Process and Utility SystemsChecklist - issued 2009
A list of systems that should beaddressed during assessing lifeextension of top side’s process andutility 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)
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5. Risk Management, Technical Safety Systems and Working EnvironmentChecklist - 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.
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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.
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