Class society publishes new rules for offshore units
OLT Livorno, the first offshore Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU)
The Italian classification society RINA has published a new set of rules covering offshore units including FPSOs, FSRUs and MODUs.
The new rules are based on experience in helping develop the world's first offshore LNG terminals, both fixed and floating. The Rules for the Classification of Floating Offshore Units at Fixed Locations and Mobile Offshore Drilling Units came into force on 15 March 2010 and are supported by a Guide for Risk Analyses and a Guide for Technology Qualification Processes.
“The key factors in these new rules are a thorough revision of our existing rules based on our unique experience with offshore LNG, and the introduction of an over-arching safety philosophy approach, the compliance with which operators and designers have to demonstrate through the use of risk analysis,” explains Paolo Salza, head of RINA's Marine Division Technical Department. “While existing rules cope well with the current series of projects, which essentially marry together existing technologies, we need a new framework which will allow for the advance technologies which will be deployed in future projects.”
To help operators, designers and builders use the new risk analysis approach, RINA has published appropriate risk analysis guidelines which describe the most typical approaches and techniques used in the offshore field. “The use of new and advanced technologies, for example in the regasification process, often requires these technologies to be certified on the basis of ad-hoc qualification procedures, because a well established set of safety criteria are not available,” explains Salza. “We have codified this practice into our Guide for Technology Qualification Process to help new projects to use advanced technology in a safe way.”
The new rules are subdivided into the following parts:
* Part A: Classification and Surveys,
* Part B: Hull and Stability,
* Part C: Machinery, Systems and Fire Protection,
* Part D: Materials and Welding,
* Part E: Service Notations,
* Part F: Additional Class Notations.
RINA has taken a lead in the developing market for floating LNG terminals and has been chosen to class the first offshore Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), OLT Livorno, and is providing studies and support for a number of further offshore LNG projects, including the newbuilding which is likely to be the world’s second offshore LNG FSRU.Images for this article - click to enlarge
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