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ALTERNATE
COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
SPEEDS CERTIFICATION OF RIG
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About the ENSCO 7500
- ABS
classed
 A1,
AMS, column stabilized drilling unit with a DPS2 notation
for dynamic positioning
- The
rig has a drill depth rating of 30,000 feet and can
operate in waters up to 8,000 feet
- Under
three year contract to Burlington Resources Inc.
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Under ACP, ABS acts directly on behalf of the USCG,
applying ABS Rules, International Codes and the US Supplement
to the ABS MODU Rules.
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he
new semisubmersible ENSCO 7500, built by Friede
Goldman Halter for ENSCO |
International
of Dallas and currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico, is
the industry’s first rig to complete certificate of inspection
requirements under the US Coast Guard’s Alternate Compliance
Program (ACP).
The
ACP program, begun in 1995, has until now mostly benefited
US shipowners looking to simplify the certification process.
Now, rig owners can utilize ACP, simplifying and often times
speeding the certification process for offshore installations.
In a
statement, an ENSCO spokesperson said, "The USCG’s
Alternate Compliance Program proved to be straight-forward,
efficient and cost-effective, involving less paperwork than
we expected. All the people involved in the certification
process contributed to the success of the ENSCO 7500
project."
Lynnda
Pekel, ABS Project Manager for the ENSCO 7500, said,
"From a rig owner’s perspective, one of the best
things about ACP is the increased efficiency and improved
reliability that comes from having fewer interfaces."
What
ACP Includes
Bret Montaruli,
P.E., ABS Manager of Offshore Engineering, said the vision
for ACP reflects the mutual mission of ABS and USCG: the protection
of life, property and the natural environment. The program
is predicated on a U.S. flag drilling unit’s compliance
with three sets of requirements: The relevant ABS Rules, international
codes as well as the U.S. Supplement to the ABS Rules for
Building and Classing Mobile Offshore Drilling Units.
The ACP
program contrasts with other programs where ABS acts on behalf
of the USCG applying requirements from Title 46 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFRs).
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Under ACP,
ABS acts directly on behalf of the USCG, applying the Rules, Codes
and Supplement, which represent equivalent requirements. Thus the
CFRs are not directly applicable benefiting the industry with a
more streamlined set of standards governing USCG certification.
The U.S. Supplement
addresses criteria from existing USCG regulations deemed critical
and not already provided for in ABS Rules—a primary area being
life-saving appliances. Both ABS and USCG cover many of the same
issues—including vessel structure, stability, piping, electrical,
mechanical, safety and other related issues—but in some cases
take a different approach to the inspection or application of certain
technical regulations.
"In essence,
the Supplement provides the road map for ABS to act on behalf
of the USCG in certifying offshore rigs," said Montaruli.
To further
simplify the certification process, ABS acts on behalf of the
USCG to issue International Maritime Organization (IMO) MODU certification.
The IMO MODU Code—applied on behalf of the Flag State Administration—addresses
additional safety issues and environmental requirements. The USCG,
according to Montaruli, requires IMO MODU certification for all
U.S. flag MODUs certified under ACP.
"Using
ACP, customers may experience some cost reductions; however, the
primary benefits are less interface with USCG, faster turn-around
on reviews, faster decision-making, and, in general, a more streamlined
workflow," said Montaruli.
ABS assigned
a team of more 20 people to facilitate the ACP process for the
ENSCO 7500. Disciplines included piping, electrical, mechanical,
structures, stability, safety and fire protection and site survey.
ABS Group, an affiliate of ABS, also contributed to the project,
conducting risk analysis of equipment to ensure emergency service
in the event of a failure.
Utilizing
Vendor Coordination
The ACP process
for the ENSCO 7500 project was further enhanced by ABS’
vendor coordination program, which helps manage the equipment
certification process, providing a single point of contact for
vendors and customers.
The vendor
coordination program also helps ensure that equipment arriving
at the yard is ABS-certified and complies with applicable Rules,
standards and regulations. This effort, said Pekel, can avert
delays on construction and assembly resulting from incomplete
documentation or miscommunication on specifications.
"The
ENSCO project included some 500 purchase orders from about 400
vendors. ABS’ vendor coordination program helped to ensure
communication among all parties for both technical issues and
survey activities," said Pekel.
Montaruli
added that any document out of place could potentially hold up
an entire project, saying, "It’s important to have a
group of engineers whose sole purpose is to keep this process
moving smoothly, and to have a documented system for future maintenance
and replacement."
ABS is presently
developing a secure website for owners to check vendor status
on a daily basis.
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