Methodology for Formal Safety Assessment of the Topsides of Offshore Production Facilities

The objective was to develop a practical, general, and non- prescriptive engineering approach for the requalification of existing topside facilities. In both the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, there is a consensus that it is not the aging platform structures that are the major safety problem, but the operating plants and machinery, which have deteriorated over the years. In some cases, equipment is obsolete by today's standards. This assessment project considered:

(1) operating system design;

(2) layout of installations;

(3) performance of critical safety systems, e.g. emergency shutdown (ESD);

(4) fire and gas detection;

(5) alarms;

(6) evacuations;

(7) the relevance of emergency procedures; and

(8) the aging of the plant and machinery.

The assessment considered wear, corrosion, and suitable maintenance of the operating plant to include the safety- related items currently required. Recommendations from previous accidents or incidents were considered in the assessment methodology to avoid similar occurrences.