Petrochem/Utilities Industry Trends

New Guidelines for a New World

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API Moves Into Deepwater Keeping up with Deepwater Exploration and Development New Guidelines for a New World

This July, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) issued its final rule amending its regulations for offshore oil and gas production platforms and structures. With the new rule, MMS has rewritten its regulations so that they will now specifically address floating production systems (FPSs) separately from fixed platforms. The goal of the rule is to streamline the permitting process for FSPs, which increasingly are being proposed for use as companies move into ever deeper waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

The MMS final rule relies on industry standards to provide lessees and operators with guidelines for designing floating platforms. It also gives the agency’s own engineers a set of standards by which they can evaluate proposed projects. The new rule incorporates an additional seven new standards created by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and one by the American Welding Society (AWS):

• API RP 2RD, Design of Risers for Floating Productions Systems (FPSs) and Tension-Leg Platforms (TLPs), first edition, June 1998. This recommended practice addresses structural analysis procedures, design guidelines, component selection criteria and typical designs for all new riser systems used on FSPs. It also provides guidelines for developing load information for the equipment attached to the ends of risers.
• API RP 2SK, Design and Analysis of Stationkeeping Systems for Floating Structures, second edition, December 1996. This document provides a methodology for analyzing, designing and evaluating mooring systems used with FSPs.
• API RP 2T, Planning, Designing, and Constructing Tension Leg Platforms, second edition, August 1997. This recommended practice provides guidelines on the design and construction of TLPs.
• API RP 2FPS, Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing, and Constructing Floating Production Systems, first edition, March 2001. This publication uses information provided by offshore floating system owners, operators, designers, fabricators, suppliers and certifiers to provide recommendations for all types of FSPs, except for TLPs, which are covered in API RP 2T.
• API RP 14J, Design and Hazards Analysis for Offshore Production Facilities, first edition, September 1993. The inclusion of this document in the final rule imposes new reporting requirements on operators, who will be expected to provide an analysis of all operational hazards as part of their deepwater operations plans. The document referenced by the MMS rule is the first edition of API’s recommended practice; the second edition was released April 2001.
• API Specification 17J, Unbonded Flexible Pipe, second edition, November 1999. Flexible pipe is often used in the construction of production pipelines for subsea wells, which are expected to be used increasingly in deepwater production. This specification provides the technical requirements for the proper design and construction of flexible pipelines and flowlines.
• API RP 2SM, Recommended Practice for Design, Manufacture, Installation, and Maintenance of Synthetic Fiber Ropes for Offshore Mooring, first edition, March 2001. Along with providing guidelines on the use of synthetic fiber ropes for offshore mooring applications, this document also highlights the differences between synthetic rope and traditional steel mooring systems and provides guidance on how to handle these differences during system design and installation.
• AWS D3.6M: 1999, Specification for Underwater Welding. According to MMS, the agency uses this document to assess any applications it receives for underwater welding repairs.

In addition to these new standards, the MMS rule references a number of other documents provided by industry organizations, including the American Concrete Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction, American Society for Testing and Materials and NACE International. It also refers to other standards and specifications provided by API and AWS.

For a copy of the complete rule, visit http://www.mms.gov/federalregister/PDFs/AC85-SubpartIFinalRule-05-14038.pdf

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