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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Is requalification of topsides facilities necessary?

Conference ·
OSTI ID:100708
 [1]
  1. Paragon Engineering Services, Inc., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Engineering

This paper discusses the need for requalification of topside facilities. It evaluates accident data to see if conclusions can be drawn that older facilities are more prone to accidents and thus require periodic requalification. The paper describes the existing Minerals Management Service regulations and evaluates the extent to which they incorporate a requalification system. The SEMP system developed by the API to manage safety on offshore platforms is also discussed. The paper draws the conclusion that properly operated and maintained topsides are currently subject to a partial evergreen requalification and reassessment program complete with periodic testing for mechanical integrity and periodic analysis of systems. Accident data indicates that further emphasis on requalification of hardware can not be expected to dramatically influence safety. The implementation of SEMP, with its emphasis on management of safety has all the elements of a reassessment program and could significantly increase safety.

OSTI ID:
100708
Report Number(s):
CONF-950116--; ISBN 0-7918-1291-X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English