Half of the UK’s fixed North Sea platforms have reached or exceeded their design life, but are still operating, according to the Health & Safety Executive.
However, a new report from the offshore safety regulator is clear that older platforms can continue to produce efficiently and safely – if they are properly maintained.
The KP4 report examines ageing and life extension of offshore installations and is designed to raise awareness of associated issues across the industry.
The HSE conducted a three-year investigation to examine how effectively the offshore industry is handling platform ageing and life extension and how it should address the issue in the future.
Thirty three installations under the control of a range of operators were assessed during the course of the three year programme. The report identifies the good practice many in the industry are adopting and participation in the study has stimulated further work by some operators.
However, the report also finds that knowledge about ageing and life extension issues is not being applied consistently enough across industry.
For example, studies designed to identify work necessary to ensure extending the life of a platform have started late.
The HSE will launch its report on the findings today (WED) in Aberdeen.
It will highlight areas of industry strength, but will also demand that all operators recognise the importance of applying timely and effective remedies.
Susan Mackenzie, Director of HSE’s Hazardous Installations Directorate, said ahead of the launch: “From the outset of this programme we made clear that if installations are going to be used beyond their original anticipated design life, operators will need to anticipate the possible consequences and put in place policies and procedures to deal with them.
“Age of an installation alone is not a reliable indicator of its condition and ALE must be approached as a distinct activity within operators’ asset integrity management plans.
“It is likely that there will be greater demands placed on ageing installations and operators must ensure that ageing and life extension processes are integrated into their long term strategies.”
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