Offshore Project Standardization: Harmonized Set of Standards and Specifications for Cost Reduction in Offshore Projects

Many oil majors have their own in-house safety standards, engineering and design practices. At the same time, industry groups and various local authorities have developed their own codes, standards and recommended practices. On top of this, each classification society has its own set of rules for building offshore structures and machinery. As a result of the various requirements, highly complex specifications unique to each project are developed. The offshore project standardization effort seeks to find acceptable common ground between the numerous individual standards and requirements to reduce costs and increase efficiency in offshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. As part of the standardization project, the specifications for the major topside equipment were developed to simplify procurement of machinery packages. In addition, bulk materials, outfitting design and the best practices for welding and inspection were standardized for construction efficiency. A gap analysis was performed, comparing executed project specifications, industrial standards, and international and local regulations. The specifications were then harmonized focusing on construction efficiency, compatibility and operational maintenance, and with the safety requirements. A major driver in this activity was to adopt marine practices for offshore application without compromising safety and quality. Feedback on the process was obtained from an advisory group made up of owners, operators, engineering companies, vendors and shipbuilders. Two standardization cases are presented as examples. The first is the standardization of topside piping material which resulted in the enhanced compatibility of materials and provision of greater construction flexibility, addressing material chemical composition, sour service application, wall thickness, test procedures and acceptance criteria. Secondly, a harmonized specification was developed for an air compressor package which meets the requirements for the design, inspection, testing, installation and commissioning for offshore application. The proposed standard project specifications help to reduce the potential for a manufacturer to misunderstand an owner's unique standards and requirements, and provide an opportunity to bring about cost reduction especially in unnecessary engineering and documentation.