Guidelines For DP MODU Annual Trials
Improving safety and performance by reducing risk is key to the work of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). With these aims in mind, they have published guidelines providing advice on undertaking the annual dynamic positioning (DP) trials for DP mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) on a continual basis throughout the year.
The use of the traditional annual DP trial, where all of the DP tests are carried out at a specific time once a year, has not been widely accepted and taken up for DP MODUs because their continuous work programmes do not usually provide suitable non-operational periods that can be used for such an approach.
The new guidelines, designed to provide a common approach for DP MODU annual trials, propose a method of achieving safety and performance by carefully managed testing of all important systems and components of a DP system to ensure that it is maintained in good working order. Particular focus is placed on verifying the conditions from the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) that are difficult or impossible to verify by any other method.
The trial programme may be conducted on an incremental basis throughout the year as opportunities arise, but needs to be completed within a twelve month period. The guidance stresses that an annual verification exercise should be carried out to ensure that the various tests identified in the annual trials programme have been completed. We would like to emphasise that it is our view that it is best to undertake the trials in one go if possible; and to also stress that this new publications is for the special case of MODUs only.
