Jacking system failures addressed
Posted: 04 December 2006
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Det Norske Veritas (DNV) said it has started to develop a proposal on how to address the problems related to jacking system failures on ageing self elevating jack-up rigs for offshore. The proposal will be forwarded to relevant rig owners for their comments and suggestions prior to implementation.
The move came after DNV and the National Drilling Company (NDC) of Abu Dhabi hosted its second offshore technical seminar. Held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi , the conference was attended by over 80 regional and international industry professionals.
Abdulrahman Ba Majboor Al Sayari, Assistant General Manager, National Drilling Company, Abu Dhabi said: "The three main objectives of the seminar were to reaffirm our commitment to provide a common platform for rig owners, to share knowledge and technical experience and to create awareness amongst classification societies, of the problems currently faced by rig owners.ˇ
Jacking systems are commonly used on offshore self elevating rigs for drilling and production. It was discussed that many of these jacking systems were installed 20 to 30 years ago when much of the rigs were originally commissioned. Maintenance checks and repairs have become more critical and surveys need to be made to ensure the operational safety of the rigs.
One issue however hinders the knowledge sharing of the rig owners and that is their reluctance to report failures due to concerns about potential adverse publicity which could result in losing their charter.
The seminar was followed by the third annual Middle East Rig Owners Committee meeting, held on-board the Dubai creek cruise ship "Bateaux Dubai". More than 40 owners˙ representatives and DNV personnel attended with presentations by guest speakers from DNV, Hovik and NDC focusing on operational issues in the Middle East and India . Once again the important issue of maintenance on ageing units was brought to the fore.
´We focused on our approach to the classification of Jack-Up units, which are the most common type of unit in this region. In particular we stressed the need for further support in the operation of these units, especially in benign environments,ˇ said Lazaros Sarris, Country Manager, DNV UAE-Maritime. |
