EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of

Ageing Structures (former FOI-CAAS)

Author(s): - unspecified –
Editor: Lionel Raynaud
Validated by: Lionel Raynaud

Revision: 4 Revision date: 29/01/2001

Features of last Revisions:

ƒ (no incrementation of revision number) Exported from DOQ to Word
format without significant modification of contents
ƒ Rev. 4 Conversion under DOQ format from PEP/PTN database (former
FOI-CAAS, rev.3), with minor modifications

Scope/Application:
Define how is carried out condition re-appraisal of the structure of an existing offshore
platform.

Total number of pages (including this one): 9

Page numbering starts next page
This page is for internal use only – for tendering/prequalification purposes, print only
from next page
 E&P General Execution Procedure

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing

Structures (former FOI-CAAS)

Bureau Veritas Head Office

17 bis, Place des Reflets
92077 Paris La Défense Cedex - France
 Table of contents

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing

Structures (former FOI-CAAS) ...........................................................................................3
Sections............................................................................................................................3
Subject............................................................................................................................3
Re-appraisal process......................................................................................................3
Inventory.........................................................................................................................4
Re-analysis.....................................................................................................................5
Special survey ................................................................................................................6
Conclusions ....................................................................................................................7
Re-certification for life time extension - Bureau Veritas Project scheme........................8

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing Structures (former FOI- 2
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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing

Structures (former FOI-CAAS)

Revision: 4 - Date of revision: 29/01/2001

Sections

Subject
The Certification of an Offshore Platform is currently based on the initial appraisal of design
and construction, when the platform is new built, and then on follow-up of platform conditions
by periodical and occasional surveys.
However, when the platform is ageing, and is planned to remain in service longer than its
design lifetime, a comprehensive re-appraisal of the platform conditions should be carried out
before any lifetime extension is granted and a Certificate of Fitness is re-issued accordingly.
This condition re-appraisal shall give to owner and C. A. an up to dated and "State of the Art"
picture of the platform data and strength, with respect to data assumed and to methods used
initially, at the time of building. This picture shall provide adequate back up for a sound
judgement as to fitness for purpose of the platform, and for deciding the in service
inspections for the forthcoming period.
Condition re-appraisal should be initiated in due time before the initial design lifetime of
platform (i. e. twenty years, unless otherwise specified in the Certificate of Design) is expired,
taking into account the time to be spent for re-appraisal.
The Company should specify the anticipated extension of platform lifetime.
Re-appraisal at an earlier date could be considered in case of significant change, damage, or
other special events or if desired by Company.

Re-appraisal process
The re-appraisal process includes four major phases:
1. Inventory of platform conditions and related documentation
2. Re-analysis
3. Special survey
4. Conclusions

In each phase, actions are required firstly by the Company which reports its conclusions to
Bureau Veritas, who then perform the necessary reviews.
An outline of the activities to be carried out at each phase is given in the following sections.
The actual extent of activities could vary on a case by case basis, depending on the amount
and quality of available documentation, results of finding of other phases, or other specific
circumstances.
It should be noted that these phases, although described separately based on the nature of
activities, are actually closely related one to the other, as part of a whole on-going process,
which will require a close co-operation between Company, Bureau Veritas, and other
involved parties.

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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

Inventory
General
An inventory of the platform conditions and data is to be made, at first, in order to get a clear
picture of the present situation of the platform, with its historical background, before to decide
and then perform the following steps.

Inventory shall mainly consist of collecting data from periodical inspection reports, site work
reports, initial building file (as-built), and other available documents, complemented, as
needed, by site information (some pictures could be useful).

Platform arrangement
Inventory should cover all aspects affecting environmental and gravity loads, such as:
• conductors, risers, etc...
• boat landing, fenders and others appurtenances
• deck underside arrangement
• topside arrangement and loads (fixed loads - live loads)

and should include:

• initial design data and fabrication records.
• historical record of addition, change, removal of items, loads, etc
• present situation (for topsides, this will generally imply a re-assessment of
topsides loads - see also Section 4 hereunder).

Platform conditions
Inventory should give an overview of past in service inspections and should reflect
outstanding findings from these inspections, in the areas such as:
• marine growth thickness and extent, and records of cleaning operations -
scour observations, and records of dumping operations
• damages, accidents, and subsequent repairs.

Site conditions
For environmental and soil conditions, inventory shall include initial reports and related
design data, and also more recent data which may be used to update or to complement initial
data:
1. measurement of waterdepth (in particular, the relative level between platform and sea
reference level - MSL or LAT), to clarify such essential data from earlier uncertainties
and possible variations.
2. measurements of wave and other environmental data, at platform or a nearby site, to
improve the accuracy of initial data, which were often prepared at a time where no
platform was on site or obtained be extrapolation not always justified (if none
available, starting measurements and processing by a competent Specialist would be
a useful preliminary step).
3. soil investigations at a later built adjacent platform, if available, where benefits can be
taken from more recent techniques of investigations and analyses.

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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

Analysis
A summary of initial design analyses, and later re-analyses, if any, should be made, with
indications including dates, purpose, type of analysis, methods used, design parameters and
other features of interest.

Future
Company shall define the proposed plan for the future period of the platform:
• life time extension duration
• platform use (functions, manning,...) and related modifications in connection
with platform arrangement and loads, including additions (e.g. in relation
with platform upgrading), or provisions for such, and intended removals (e.g.
removal of no longer used conductors, boat-landing, or any other
appurtenances)
• maintenance plan (e.g. marine growth cleaning criteria).

Results
The results of the inventory shall be made available to Bureau Veritas for review, at the
earliest, together with the Company's proposed initial plan for the subsequent phases. They
shall be regularly updated, as relevant, together with the progress of the following phases.

Re-analysis
Re-analysis of platform should be carried out:
• on the one hand, to provide an up-to-date picture of platform strength, and
information to be used as basis for Special Survey
• on the other hand, to confirm the suitability of structures for an extended
lifetime, and to provide proper data for later inspections of the platform
during its life time extension period.

Re-analysis should be based on the following:

• results of inventory
• plan for platform usage and maintenance

so that the analyses fully consider:

• the actuel platform arrangement, including any modifications found
necessary from a first pass analysis,
• up-to-date design parameters.
• the actual structural conditions of the platform (unrepaired damages, etc.)

Analyses should normally cover:

• re-assessment of platform air-gap
• re-assessment of topsides load distribution on its supports
• in-place strength of substructure and of the MSF (or integrated deck primary
framing)
• capacity of foundations (for which revised soil engineering parameters shall
be obtained from a soil Specialist, if necessary)
• fatigue strength of substructure (if relevant, the "past" conditions and the
"future" conditions should be considered separately)

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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

and shall also include specific structural evaluations, as needed on account of:
• platform particulars (e. g. the strength of a slender radio tower, flare boom)
• platform conditions (e. g. Iocal analysis in relation with unrepaired damages)
• particular safety requirements (e. g. arising from the Safety Case)

Re-analysis should be carried to the latest State of the Art, with respect to the methods of
analysis, loads and strength assessment, etc....
If needed, conventional analysis may be complemented by more advanced methods (e. g.
push-over analysis, fatigue crack propagation).
Consideration could be also given to assessment by reliability methods, if properly
documented and backed up by conventional analysis.

A specification should be prepared by the Company, prior to re-analysis, which gives a clear
picture of all design data and parameters, in relation to the inventory, and the intended
content of re-analysis.
The conclusions of the re-analysis shall outline:
• critical (or most critical) features of platform strength, and areas on which
Special Survey should focus on,
• proposed course of actions to clarify the inadequacies revealed by analysis
(see Section 6 hereunder)
• salient aspects, for consideration at time of later inspections.

Bureau Veritas will review the specification for re-analysis, the caculation notes which
contain the results and the proposed conclusions.

Appraisal of analysis and conclusions will be performed normally, but not systematically, by
means of an independent analysis, together with a review of Company Re-analysis Reports.

Special survey
A Special Survey inspection should be performed after the re-analysis, in order to complete
the evaluation of conditions of platform, and to correlate this actual condition with the finding
of re-analysis.
The inspection shall consist of an extended 5-year structural inspection, and shall include but
not be limited:
1. inspection of platform overall conditions (general, scour, marine growth, cathodic
protection)
2. further inspection of the conditions of structural members (local damage, straightness,
flooded members, thickness/corrosion, ...)
3. inspection of specific areas (e. g. riser attachment) or topics (e. g. anode depletion
and attachment)
4. close inspection and NDT of selected welds at nodes

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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

Concerning member and node inspection, consideration is to be given, as needed, to:

• areas with earlier cracks or unresolved indications, or other recorded
anomalies
• areas found critical by analysis and possibility not covered by earlier
inspections
• other areas not covered by earlier inspections, as relevant from results of
analysis
An inspection program is to be prepared by Company and is to be submitted to Bureau
Veritas for review before underwater inspection starts.
Program shall define the technical methods and locations for the various inspections, and
shall include, in addition, provision of some random inspection in a number of areas, to be
defined on the spot by the attending Surveyor.
The Survey by Bureau Veritas will normally include attendance at the major inspection
operations, as found necessary by the Surveyor, and a review of inspection records and
reports.

Conclusions
From the results of the three above-mentioned phases, conclusions shall be prepared by the
Company, as to the fitness of the platform with respect to a lifetime extension.

The proposed conclusions shall specify relevant platform data (including future provision), for
which extension is anticipated, and will give a checklist of work to be carried out for that
purpose, including, as needed:
• modification to platform (e. g. with a view to overall load reduction)
• repair or reinforcement work, as considered in the final run of re-analysis
• maintenance plans and relevant criteria (e. g. marine growth cleaning)
• specific inspection plans, where monitoring of an area can be considered as
an appropriate action.

Besides, a new long term Inspection Program of platform shall be prepared, based on the
results of evaluations and above conclusions.

Proposed conclusions will be reviewed by Bureau Veritas and, when agreed and
implemented, the agreement for a lifetime extension will be confirmed by:
• a new Certificate of Design
• the issue of Certificate of Fitness for the next period (5 years maximum)
• approval of the Inspection Program

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing Structures (former FOI- 7
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 E&P General Execution Procedure - EPP/GEP 305

Re-certification for life time extension - Bureau Veritas Project

scheme
The contract of re-certification for life time extension can be signed between any BV
Business Unit and Company (generally a Business Unit in the Country where the Company
operates). The phases of the work are:
• Phase 1: Inventory
• Phase 2: Re-analysis

This part of work may be performed only by a BV Business Unit duly registered for the
corresponding E&P specific activities (Refer to EPP/GPR 202 "Registration of E&P
services/activities in Business Units").
The same applies to the following parts of the work within the following phases:
• Phase 3: Review of Special Survey Program
• Phase 4: Issue of Certificate of Design Appraisal and Review/approval of
Long Term Inspection Plan
The final Certificate for life time extension (e.g., Certificate of Fitness) will be delivered by the
relevant BV contractor.

EPP/GEP 305 - Fixed Offshore Installations - Condition Appraisal of Ageing Structures (former FOI- 8
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