Technical Integrity in a Full Scale Qualification and Test Facility for Offshore Equipment

摘要

Technical integrity of a full scale test facility for compressors,separators, valves, flow meters, etc. is a key factor in achieving on planand budget project development safely. The methodology forsuccessful technical integrity of such a test facility, compared to thetechnical integrity of a process plant, is outlined. This implies,coordination between technical disciplines and highly qualifiedpersonnel and also custom Life Cycle Information (LCI) strategy.When such large scale test facility is integrated in a process plant thetechnical requirements are even stricter and need to comply both withoffshore requirements and onshore process plant requirements. Thenovelty of the tested technologies, and sometimes the lack ofappropriate mature standards, makes it challenging to ensure safetechnical integrity solutions for such test facilities. Continuouslychanging projects, and short time commissioning and decommissioningof equipment, increases the complexity of the test facility and theassociated risks. Sound risk assessments, quantitative as well asqualitative assessments, are performed for understanding the integritylimits and their risk contribution. Realistic offshore conditions are thedriver to develop innovative cost effective approaches to full scaletesting. Examples of such tests are outlined herein, i.e. testing of asubmerged 11 MW subsea compressor module weighing 350 metrictons, meant to work on the subsea bed.