The guidelines will aim to assist operators by providing a means of adopting common methodology when assessing reliability and relating this to obsolescence of ageing subsea equipment infrastructure.
The document will also provide guidance that will promote good practice, both from a point of view of equipment availability and in terms of utilising feedback and intelligence on future trends and needs, British subsea industry body said.
Alistair Birnie, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “We already see a lot of work ongoing within individual members companies in this area, and this is a very good sign that obsolescence is being taken more seriously now. Our aim now is to try to get all this good work pointing in a common direction, so that there are no nasty surprises and to ensure that the industry plans its obsolescence for the long term, using all the information available to it.
“Working with the Energy Institute on this project will take in all the strengths of our collective memberships and its ideas, creating a robust set of guidelines that would be equally applicable anywhere in the world.”
The project will look at all aspects of subsea equipment, but it will also consider the effects of topsides elements such as computers, power supplies, hydraulic power units and other supporting equipment.
Keith Hart, upstream technology manager for Energy Institute, said: “We are very pleased to be able to have the opportunity to work with Subsea UK and key industry personnel on this project dealing with ageing mechanisms for subsea equipment. The deliverables will provide a fitting compliment to the guidance issued in 2009 on the management of integrity of subsea systems and falls neatly within its general forward issues theme of ageing infrastructure.
“The guidelines will also provide a valued addition to the Energy Institute’s portfolio of similar documents which supports and assists operators from all sectors of the oil and gas industry.”
The guidelines will be steered by both Subsea UK’s and the Energy Institute’s members and are planned to be published by end of 2010.
