Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Installations Regulations (SOR/95-191)

Mechanical Equipment

• 13 (1) Every internal combustion engine on an installation shall be installed, maintained and operated in accordance with American Petroleum Institute RP 7C-llF, Recommended Practice for Installation, Maintenance and Operation of Internal-Combustion Engines.

• (2) Combustion air for every internal combustion engine and fired vessel shall be taken from non-hazardous areas.

• (3) Exhaust gas from every internal combustion engine and fired vessel shall be discharged to non-hazardous areas.

• (4) The air induction system of every diesel engine operating in a hazardous area shall be equipped with

  • (a) a flame arrester in the induction system;

  • (b) a shut-off valve that is located between the engine air inlet filter and the induction system flame arrester and that is capable of being closed automatically by the engine overspeeding device and manually;

  • (c) a flame arrester in the exhaust system; and

  • (d) a spark arrester in the exhaust system, downstream of the flame arrester.

• (5) Subject to subsection (13), the fuel supply system for every diesel engine shall be equipped with a manual shut-off device and, except for the emergency source of electrical power required by section 12, with a device that will automatically shut off the fuel supply if any of the following occur:

  • (a) overspeeding;

  • (b) high exhaust temperature;

  • (c) high cooling water temperature; or

  • (d) low lubricating oil pressure.

• (6) The engine crankcase breather pipe on every diesel engine shall

  • (a) be equipped with a flame arrester; and

  • (b) in the case of an engine in an enclosed Class I, Division 2, hazardous area, lead to the atmosphere outside the installation.

• (7) Basic operating instructions for every diesel engine shall give details of stop, start and emergency procedures and be permanently attached to the engine.

• (8) The layout of every gas turbine, including the location of the control points, shall take into account the ability of the control point closest to the turbine to withstand pressure waves in the event of an explosion in the gas turbine exhaust duct or gas turbine hall and the effects of the failure of a gas turbine rotor where the fragments cannot be contained.

• (9) Every gas turbine shall have, in addition to the speed governor, a separate overspeed device, arranged and adjusted so that the manufacturer’s overspeed limitations for the turbine cannot be exceeded by more than 15 per cent.

• (10) The air intakes and exhaust for every gas turbine shall be arranged to prevent, to the extent practicable, reingestion of combustion gases.

• (11) Every multi-engine gas turbine shall have a separate air intake and exhaust, arranged so as to prevent induced circulation through a stopped turbine.

• (12) All machinery, components and systems essential to the operation of a floating platform shall be designed to function at full rated power at any inclination, up to a maximum angle of

  • (a) in the case of a surface mobile platform,

    • (i) 15 degrees in any direction under static conditions,

    • (ii) 22½ degrees in any direction under rolling dynamic conditions, and

    • (iii) 7½ degrees by bow or stern under rolling dynamic conditions;

  • (b) for a column-stabilized mobile platform, 15 degrees in any direction; and

  • (c) for a self-elevating platform, 10 degrees in any direction.

• (13) The automatic shut-off device referred to in subsection (5) shall shut off the fuel supply to engines associated with fire pump systems only where overspeeding occurs.

• (14) Jacking mechanisms for self-elevating platforms shall, where possible, be arranged with redundancy so that a single failure of any component does not cause an uncontrolled descent of the platform.

Winterization

• 14 (1) Every installation shall be designed, constructed, equipped and insulated to ensure that, at the minimum air temperature that may occur at the drill site or production site during operations, based on an annual probability of exceedance of 10^-2,

  • (a) in the case of a production installation, the production equipment and other associated equipment will operate in a safe and efficient manner;

  • (b) the emergency shutdown system referred to in section 18 will perform its intended functions;

  • (c) drilling safety systems and associated equipment will operate safely and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications;

  • (d) the fluids in the following systems and components will not freeze, namely,

    • (i) fresh water tanks and the associated piping,

    • (ii) vent pipes,

    • (iii) components of the drainage system,

    • (iv) the hydraulic system and its components, including operators and cylinders, and

    • (v) the firefighting system, including pump drives and fuel supply lines, fire pumps and associated piping, fire hydrants, fire hoses and nozzles;

  • (e) every pneumatic control system will remain fully operational at all times;

  • (f) the lifesaving appliances and associated devices will remain operational; and

  • (g) in the case of a mobile platform,

    • (i) the fluid in an operating ballast system, including the pumps, control systems and associated piping and valves, is protected against freezing,

    • (ii) the proper functioning of any thrusters is not impaired and the hydraulic fluid and lubricants for the thrusters have properties designed for such a temperature, and

    • (iii) the mooring winches and, where the platform is so equipped, the quick disconnect system will remain fully operational.

• (2) Every installation shall be equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, that will keep the locations mentioned in subsection (3) free of ice and snow and lines thawed so as to permit drilling, production and maintenance operations to be conducted safely.

• (3) Every installation that is equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, required by subsection (2) shall include outlets, hoses and hose clamps capable of being used in the following locations:

  • (a) work areas;

  • (b) walkways; and

  • (c) the helicopter deck and the lifeboat embarkation stations.

• (4) Where temperatures below -20°C may occur, based on an annual probability of exceedance of 10^-2, at the drill site or production site more than one day per year and where the installation is equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, required by subsection (2),

  • (a) that equipment shall meet the requirements set out in subsection (2) when operating at 75 per cent capacity; and

  • (b) the installation shall be equipped with a second set of steam-generating equipment or another means of providing equivalent protection against ice, snow and freezing.

Corrosion Protection

• 15 (1) All structural elements that are part of an installation and the failure of which as a result of corrosion would cause a safety hazard shall be protected or constructed with extra material so as to prevent the degree of corrosion that may cause that structural element to fail and shall be protected against corrosion in accordance with section 4.15 of Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA-S471-92, General Requirements, Design Criteria, the Environment, and Loads.

• (2) Corrosion protection systems for installations shall be designed, installed and maintained in accordance with

  • (a) section 15 of Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA-S473-92, Steel Structures, Offshore Structures, in the case of steel platforms; and

  • (b) sections 4.9.5, 5.1.1, 5.3, 5.4.2, 5.6, 5.10 and 11.19 of Canadian Standards Association Preliminary Standard S474-M1989, Concrete Structures, in the case of concrete platforms.

• (3) All corrosion protection systems on an installation shall be designed so that adjustment, repair or replacement can be done on site, except where

  • (a) dry dock surveys are possible and are scheduled at a frequency of five years or less; or

  • (b) the corrosion protection system is a cathodic protection system that has a design life exceeding that of the installation.

Cranes

16 Every crane on an installation shall

• (a) be designed and constructed in accordance with American Petroleum Institute Spec 2C, Specification for Offshore Cranes; and

• (b) be operated and maintained in accordance with American Petroleum Institute RP 2D, Recommended Practice for Operation and Maintenance of Offshore Cranes.

Gas Release System

• 17 (1) In this section, “gas release system” means a system for releasing gas and combustible liquid from an installation, and includes a flare system, a pressure relief system, a depressurizing system and a cold vent system.

• (2) Every gas release system shall be designed and located, taking into account the amount of combustibles to be released, the prevailing winds, the location of other equipment and facilities, including rigs, the dependent personnel accommodation, the air intake system, embarkation points, muster areas, the helicopter approaches and other factors affecting the safe, normal flaring or emergency release of the combustible liquid, gases or vapours, so that when the system is operating it will not damage the installation, other installations, the land or other platforms in the vicinity used for the exploration or exploitation of resources, or injure any person.

• (3) Every gas release system shall be designed and installed in accordance with

  • (a) American Petroleum Institute RP 520, Recommended Practice for the Design and Installation of Pressure-Relieving Systems in Refineries;

  • (b) American Petroleum Institute RP 521, Guide for Pressure-Relieving and Depressuring Systems;

  • (c) American Petroleum Institute Standard 526, Flanged Steel Safety-Relief Valves;

  • (d) American Petroleum Institute Standard 527, Seat Tightness of Pressure Relief Valves; and

  • (e) American Petroleum Institute Standard 2000, Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage Tanks.

• (4) Every gas release system shall be designed and constructed to ensure that oxygen cannot enter the system during normal operation.

• (5) Any flare boom and its associated equipment shall be designed

  • (a) to ensure a continuous flame using an automatic igniter system;

  • (b) to withstand the radiated heat at the maximum venting rate;

  • (c) to prevent flashback; and

  • (d) to withstand all loads to which they may be subjected.

• (6) Every gas release system shall be designed to limit to the acceptable levels permitted by the Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations the noise that may occur as the gas expands.

• (7) With the exception of water, any liquid that cannot be safely and reliably burned at the flare tip of a gas release system shall be removed from the gas before it enters the flare.

• (8) Any vent that is used to release gas to the atmosphere without combustion shall be located and designed to minimize the risk of accidental ignition of the gas.

• (9) Every gas release system shall be designed and installed so that, taking into account the prevailing wind conditions, the maximum radiation on areas where personnel may be located, from the automatically ignited flame of a flare or vent, will be

  • (a) 6.3 kW/m², where the period of exposure will not be greater than one minute;

  • (b) 4.72 kW/m², where the period of exposure will be greater than one minute but not greater than one hour; and

  • (c) l.9 kW/m², where the period of exposure will be greater than one hour.

Emergency Shutdown System

• 18 (1) Every installation shall have an emergency shutdown system that is capable of shutting down and isolating all potential sources of ignition and sources of flammable liquids or gases.

• (2) An emergency shutdown system shall be designed and installed so that when activated it causes

  • (a) an audible and visual signal that indicates the cause of its activation and the identity of the equipment that has been shut down and isolated to be given in the appropriate control point; and

  • (b) an audible alarm to be sounded through the general alarm system required by section 34 unless the alarm is overridden by the control point operator.

• (3) In the case of a production installation, an emergency shutdown system shall be designed to ensure

  • (a) that there are at least two levels of shutdown; and

  • (b) subject to subsection (13), that the following will occur within the time and in the sequence set out in the operations manual, namely,

    • (i) the shutdown of all production facilities and associated test facilities,

    • (ii) the closure of all surface inlet manifold safety valves and production riser safety valves,

    • (iii) the closure of all Christmas tree safety valves and all downhole safety valves, and

    • (iv) the shutdown of all utilities except the equipment listed in subsection 12(1).

• (4) In the case of a production installation, manual operation of an emergency shutdown system shall be in accordance with American Petroleum Institute RP 14C, Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production Platforms.

• (5) In the case of a drilling installation, an emergency shutdown system shall be designed to ensure

  • (a) the shutdown within the time and in the sequence set out in the operations manual of all utilities, except the equipment listed in subsection 12(1); and

  • (b) that shutdown is possible from at least two strategic locations.

• (6) The emergency shutdown system shall be designed to permit the selective shutdown of the ventilation systems required by section 10, except the fans necessary for supplying combustion air to prime movers for the production of electrical power.

• (7) At least one of the controls of the emergency shutdown system shall be located outside hazardous areas.

• (8) After an emergency shutdown, the emergency shutdown system shall stay in a locked-out condition until it is manually reset.

• (9) The emergency shutdown system shall be connected to a source of power in such a way that, in the event of a failure of the primary source of power, there is automatic changeover to an emergency source of power and audible and visual alarms indicating that failure are given at the appropriate control point.

• (10) Where a hydraulic or pneumatic accumulator is used to operate any part of the emergency system, the accumulator shall

  • (a) be located as close as is practicable to the part that it is designed to operate, except where that part is part of a subsea production system; and

  • (b) have capacity for at least three operations.

• (11) In the event of a failure of the accumulator referred to in subsection (10), the shutdown valves shall revert to a fail-safe mode.

• (12) All cables and pneumatic and hydraulic power lines that are part of the emergency shutdown system shall

  • (a) in the case of cables and power lines that are exposed to the risk of mechanical or fire damage, be protected

    • (i) by metal channels or casings, or

    • (ii) by being enclosed in a steel conduit or an equivalent covering; and

  • (b) as far as practicable, be segregated or routed away from the process and utility control systems so that any damage to those systems does not affect the shutdown system.

• (13) In the case of a production installation, on activation of the emergency shutdown system, the surface-controlled subsurface safety valve shall close in not more than two minutes after the Christmas tree safety valve has closed, except where a longer delay is justified by the mechanical or production characteristics of the well.