Offshore Operations

 

INTRODUCTION

Section 11 presents some additional recommendations that are needed offshore due to the uniqueness of offshore operations. Many recommendations in other sections of this publication also are applicable to offshore operations. Refer to Appendix F, "Toxic Gases" API Recommended Practice 14C.

UNIQUENESS OF OFFSHORE
OPERATIONS

Problems that might be considered minor in onshore oper­ations can be more critical in offshore operations. This is due to the remoteness of offshore operations, compactness of fa­cilities, limited escape and evacuation routes, and sophisti­cated escape and evacuation equipment.

FEDERAL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

Refer to 30 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 250 and 256 for Minerals Management Service, U. S. Department of Interior (DOI) requirements for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas producing operations involving hydrogen sulfide. These regulations include requirements for training personnel involved in OCS oil and gas producing operations and for hydrogen sulfide contingency plans for OCS oil and gas producing operations.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

Where potentially hazardous atmospheric concentration of hydrogen sulfide could occur offshore, contingency planning is particularly essential due to the uniqueness of facilities as discussed in Par. 11.2. Although the recommendations for contingency planning presented in Section 7 are applicable to offshore operations, there are additional items that should be addressed. These include, but are not limited to, the fol­lowing:

a. Training. All personnel shall be familiar with the location and use of emergency escape equipment and routes. Person­nel regularly assigned to offshore facilities shall be trained in the requirements of Par. 5.2, as well as be proficient in the

use of oxygen resuscitation equipment, b. Evacuation Procedures. The U. S. Coast Guard's (Depart­ment of Transportation) requirements for emergency evacu­ation plans for manned Outer Continental Shelf facilities are contained in 33 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 140,143, and \46 (refer to 54 Federal Register, May 18,1989,21566). Surface and/or air transportation to the site should be avail­able since it may be necessary to evacuate visitors and other non-essential personnel and to bring in specialists or equip­ment if a hazardous hydrogen sulfide condition is suspected or does occur. Monitoring for combustible gases (primarily methane) and hydrogen sulfide should be provided to avoid unnecessarily exposing personnel and equipment to the dan­gers of a fire, explosion, or hazardous concentration during transport or transfer operations. If a hazardous hydrogen sul­fide condition is known or suspected to be imminent, boats and helicopters should approach the site from an upwind di­rection, when possible.

Proper personal protective breathing equipment must be provided for helicopter and boat crew members and all pas­sengers. Evacuation routes and deboarding procedures shall be well planned and posted. Evacuation drills shall be regu­larly performed.

SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS

Particular emphasis must be given to coordination be­tween drilling, well servicing, producing, and construction operations when two or more of these activities are con­ducted simultaneously. An individual shall be designated to be the person-in-charge for simultaneous operations, and the chain of command shall be communicated to all applicable personnel.