JIP Seeks Codes for Cable and Pipe Laying Equipment
Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd, an Acteon company, announced it is working with DNV GL and other organizations in the subsea supply chain, on a Joint Industry Project (JIP) to develop a set of guidelines to be incorporated into new or existing DNV GL Offshore Standards or Recommended Practices. The guidelines will be, ‘The Development of Codes for Offshore Equipment for Cable and Pipe Laying – Phase 1.’
The Road Map for the project proposed by DNV GL in November 2014 consisted of the following phases:
- Phase 1: Mapping the Big Picture. This is intended to provide a common, system level understanding of the equipment required for the successful laying of cables and pipes.
- Phase 2: Mapping the Detail. This is intended to focus on the individual components of the system to identify their inputs, outputs and interaction with other system components.
- Phase 3: Following the culmination of Phases 1 and 2, which are scheduled to be completed during 2016 and will result in the creation of industry guidelines and a glossary of common terms for cable and pipe laying equipment, there is potential for a third phase, which will lead to the publication of a DNV GL Standard for Certification or Recommended Practice.
David Tibbetts, vice president, technology, Aquatic, said, “We were eager to get involved with this groundbreaking project due to the lack of coherent standards for the specification, design, manufacture, procurement and approval of equipment intended for use in offshore cable and pipe laying operations.”
“The work involves engineering and technical experts from contractors and equipment manufacturers like Aquatic, collaborating in order to establish joint industry guidelines for our type of equipment, where at present nothing exists. Subject to satisfactory completion of the first two phases, a third phase undertaken by DNV GL will result in the publication of an Offshore Standard or Recommend Practice for cable/pipe laying equipment,” Tibbetts said.
Dr.-Eng Marius Popa, lead naval architect, DNV GL, said, “Consistency and collaboration within the industry is essential. Individual practices create unnecessary cost and risk, so the development of a unified approach will ensure standardization across the supply chain. The JIP will deliver a decision tool that can be used by all stakeholders during the specification, design, manufacture, procurement and approval of any equipment intended for use in offshore cable/pipe laying and recovery.”
Phase 1 participants include: Allseas Engineering; Amclyde Norson Engineering; Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd; IHC Engineering Business; IHC SAS BV; MAATS Tech Ltd; NLI Offshore & Marine Products AS; Parkburn Precision Handling Systems Ltd; Reel SAS (IMECA); Saipem Group; Subsea 7 and Technip UK Ltd.