PSA Norway Says West Hercules Not Ready for AoC

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) carried out an audit activity from 30 August to 1 September 2012 focusing on factors related to maintenance management, technical safety, working environment and preparedness on board the West Hercules facility.

The PSA’s activity was carried out as part of the processing of the company’s application for an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC). The facility will be used as a drilling facility for Statoil on the Norwegian continental shelf.

The objective of the audit was to verify certain parts of technical, operational and management-related conditions on the facility within the relevant disciplines that were subject to the authorities’ verifications on board the facility.

Nonconformities were identified in relation to: The AoC application; Project management; Maintenance management; Preservation of equipment: Maintenance programmes/classification; Labelling of equipment and components; Fire extinguishing system on the helicopter deck;

Furthermore, improvement items were identified in relation to: Risk and barrier management; Fire extinguishing systems; Fire and gas detection; HVAC system (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning).

An Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) is a decision by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway that expresses the authorities’ confidence that petroleum activities can be carried out using the facility within the framework of the regulations.

The decision is based on information provided in the AoC application relating to the facility’s technical condition and the applicant’s organisation and management system, as well as the authorities’ verifications and other processing.

West Hercules is a sixth generation, high specification, deep water, semi-submersible drilling unit, built in 2008. It has a high load carrying capacity and an efficient drilling floor layout with improved safety and working environment measures.

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Press Release, October 10, 2012