2H Offshore said it has launched the TRACS (tensioned riser assessment for continued service) joint industry project (JIP), which will see the riser and conductor specialist work with operators to develop top tension riser (TTR) reassessment and life extension guidance.
The JIP’s participants include Anadarko, Shell and BP. The project’s objectives are to develop a road map for assessing the issues relating to the fitness for service of TTRs and provide recommendations for the mitigation of potential issues. The JIP will then use data from participant-supplied case studies to validate the methodology and provide documented examples for future guidance.
Currently, there is no single guideline in the USA that addresses TTR reassessments and life extension programs in detail. The JIP will bridge the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and American Petroleum Institute frameworks and achieve industry consensus on the analysis and inspection data and documents required to assess the feasibility of an extended service life.
The JIP will address issues including fatigue, corrosion and change of service. Recommendations for mitigation measures for each issue will be developed that take environmental and operational histories into account. The latest refined analysis, inspection and monitoring tools will be evaluated to help provide an accurate assessment of equipment condition that is a key component of continued service assessment programs.
Sandeep Jesudasen, subsea riser engineering leader at BP, said, “As deepwater facilities age, the industry needs to look at continued service assessment and life extension to facilitate sustained safe production. We recognize the TRACS JIP as one such industry collaboration to develop good practice guidance for fitness-for-service assessment and life extension of TTRs.”
“We are very pleased to be working with BP, Anadarko and Shell as we lead the effort for intelligent reassessments of TTRs and invite more interested industry partners to join the JIP,” added TRACS project manager, Dhyan Deka, 2H Offshore.