3329 Guidelines for life extension of offshore installations

Overview:

These guidelines provide a consistent agenda to enable senior engineering personnel to justify continued service and life extension of an installation beyond original design or anticipated service life that aligns with good practices in the oil and gas sector. They may also assist duty holders to gain regulatory consent to operate where this is required.

The technical case for continued operation is best made from an in-depth Life Extension Review. These guidelines set out the process and content of a Life Extension Review in respect of the parts of the installation that are critical to maintaining safety and environmental barriers and production, and the need to update the hazard and risk assessments.

These guidelines apply to fixed steel jacket and concrete installations including pipelines. They apply to the entirety of the installation, including the primary structure, topside processing and export facilities, and essential safety and production systems. Subsea equipment is within the scope where failure could cause a hazard or threaten production. Most of the guidelines are also relevant for floating installations, particularly the topsides. These guidelines are applicable to any region of the world.