Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations (SOR/2024-26)

Marginal note:Classification

140 An operator must ensure that a floating platform holds a valid certificate of class issued by a classification society that corresponds to the authorized work or activity to be carried out from the floating platform.

Marginal note:Air gap

141 An operator must ensure that a platform that is either founded on the seabed or column-stabilized has a sufficient air gap to operate safely under the maximum environmental load conditions to which it may be subjected.

Marginal note:Stability

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  142 (1) An operator must ensure that a floating platform, whether intact or in a damaged condition, is stable and can be operated safely, having regard to all motions and loads to which it may be subjected, including by

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    (a) determining the stability and motion response characteristics of the platform using analysis or model testing;

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    (b) determining the critical maximum loads and motions that the platform can withstand;

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    (c) ensuring that all equipment is fastened to prevent unintended movement; and

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    (d) monitoring and recording all loads that could affect the motions, stability or inclination of the platform.

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  Marginal note:Freeboard

  (2) The operator must ensure that a floating platform has sufficient freeboard to operate safely under the maximum environmental load conditions to which it may be subjected.

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  Marginal note:Requirement — Codes

  (3) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code and Part B of the IS Code concerning the stability and motion response of a floating platform, which are to be read as mandatory.

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  Marginal note:Deadweight survey

  (4) If the weight of a floating platform or a self-elevating mobile offshore platform changes by more than 1% of the lightship weight, the operator must ensure that a deadweight survey is carried out at the earliest opportunity and an up-to-date value of the lightship centre of gravity is calculated.

Marginal note:Self-elevating mobile offshore platform

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  143 (1) An operator must, in relation to a self-elevating mobile offshore platform, ensure that a site-specific assessment is conducted of the condition of the seabed, including seabed restraint, to ensure that the platform is stable and can be operated safely.

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  Marginal note:Requirements

  (2) The operator must ensure that a self-elevating mobile offshore platform meets the following requirements:

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    (a) it must be equipped with systems to actively monitor

    • (i) hull inclination,

    • (ii) leg penetration into the seabed,

    • (iii) loads on each of the platform’s legs, and

    • (iv) rack phase differential, if applicable; and

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    (b) its jacking mechanisms must be designed so that the failure of a single component does not cause an uncontrolled descent of the platform.

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  Marginal note:Suspension of operations and well shut-in

  (3) The operator must ensure that the works and activities on a self-elevating mobile offshore platform are suspended and that all wells associated with the platform are brought to a safe shut-in condition if

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    (a) hull inclination or the rack phase differential exceeds the allowable limits set out in the operations manual in accordance with paragraph 157(3)(b);

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    (b) unexplained changes occur in the loads on any of the platform’s legs;

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    (c) leg penetration into the seabed increases; or

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    (d) any other event threatens the stability of the platform.

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  Marginal note:Corrective measures

  (4) In the case of any of the situations referred to in subsection (3), the operator must ensure that the works and activities on the self-elevating mobile offshore platform remain suspended and that all wells associated with the platform remain in a safe shut-in condition until the cause of the situation has been investigated and corrective measures have been taken.

Marginal note:Ballast and bilge systems

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  144 (1) An operator must ensure that a floating platform is equipped with reliable ballast and bilge systems with the necessary redundancy in their components to

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    (a) maintain necessary draught, stability and hull strength under all foreseeable operating conditions;

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    (b) return the floating platform to a safe condition from an unintended draught, trim or heel;

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    (c) prevent unintended transfer of fluid within the system;

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    (d) empty and fill all tanks that are a part of the system; and

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    (e) completely and rapidly empty watertight spaces.

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  Marginal note:Requirement — Code

  (2) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code concerning ballast and bilge systems, which are to be read as mandatory.

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  Marginal note:Secondary ballast control station

  (3) In the case of a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform, the operator must ensure that it is equipped with a secondary ballast control station that is equipped with

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    (a) an effective means of communication with other spaces that contain equipment relating to the operation of the ballast system;

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    (b) a ballast pump control and status system;

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    (c) a ballast valve control and status system;

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    (d) a tank level indicating system;

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    (e) a permanently mounted ballast schematic diagram;

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    (f) heel and trim indicators;

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    (g) a draught-indicating system;

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    (h) a system to indicate the available power from the main and emergency electrical power supplies; and

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    (i) a ballast system hydraulic or pneumatic pressure-indicating system.

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  Marginal note:Location — secondary ballast control station

  (4) The operator must ensure that a secondary ballast control station is located above the waterline in the final condition of equilibrium after flooding if the floating platform is in a damaged condition.

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  Marginal note:Failure modes and effects analysis

  (5) The operator must ensure that the ballast and bilge systems are assessed through a failure modes and effects analysis before any authorized work or activity is carried out from the floating platform.

Marginal note:Watertight and weathertight integrity and freeboard

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  145 (1) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code and Part B of the IS Code concerning watertight and weathertight integrity and freeboard, which are to be read as mandatory.

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  Marginal note:Watertight subdivision

  (2) The operator must ensure that the floating platform is designed with sufficient watertight subdivision to ensure the preservation of reserve buoyancy and damage stability under all foreseeable conditions.

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  Marginal note:Load line certificate

  (3) The operator must ensure that a floating platform

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    (a) holds an International Load Line Certificate or an International Load Line Exemption Certificate issued by the government of the state whose flag the platform is entitled to fly, as required under Article 16 of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966; and

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    (b) is marked in accordance with the certificate.

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  Marginal note:Watertight and weathertight appliances

  (4) The operator must ensure that the arrangement and specification of watertight and weathertight appliances complies with the measures referred to in clause 9(2)(b)(v)(H) that are described in the operator’s safety plan.

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  Marginal note:Water ingress

  (5) The operator must ensure that a floating platform is designed with systems and equipment that provide for the operation, monitoring and indication — both locally and at the ballast control stations — of the opening and closing of watertight doors and hatches and for the detection and provision of alerts of any water ingress into watertight spaces that are not designed to accumulate liquid.

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  Marginal note:Port lights

  (6) The operator must ensure that the columns of a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform do not have port lights or similar openings.

Marginal note:Station-keeping

146 An operator must ensure that a floating platform is equipped with a mooring system or a dynamic positioning system to ensure station-keeping of the platform within its operating limits.

Marginal note:Mooring system

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  147 (1) An operator must ensure that a mooring system with which a floating platform is equipped is designed, on the basis of analysis and model testing, to ensure

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    (a) safety and the protection of the environment;

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    (b) the stability and serviceability of the floating platform;

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    (c) the integrity and serviceability of the mooring system components, including any related topside equipment;

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    (d) the integrity and serviceability of drilling risers, production risers, export risers or any other type of riser;

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    (e) the necessary redundancy of the mooring system components to enable the floating platform to maintain its position with the loss of a single component or, for a thruster-assisted mooring system, the loss of the most effective thruster or a single failure in the power or control system;

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    (f) for a thruster-assisted mooring system, the ability of the floating platform to withstand extreme meteorological conditions in the event of a power failure;

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    (g) the ability of the floating platform to move from its position to avoid accidental events that it is not designed to withstand; and

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    (h) safe access and safe clearances with respect to subsea and surface components of the installation, any nearby installations, support vessels and evacuation systems.

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  Marginal note:Excursion limits

  (2) The operator must ensure that the excursion limits of a floating platform that is equipped with a mooring system are established on the basis of the analysis and model testing referred to in subsection (1).

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  Marginal note:Loss of station-keeping or failure

  (3) The operator must ensure that the floating platform has systems and processes to continuously detect loss of station-keeping or the failure of any mooring system component.

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  Marginal note:Monitoring

  (4) The operator must ensure that mooring line tensions or other indicators of the integrity of the mooring system are monitored and kept within the mooring system’s operating limits.

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  Marginal note:Measures

  (5) The operator must ensure that measures to ensure that the mooring system continues to perform in accordance with its design specifications are implemented, including

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    (a) the assessment of the system’s condition, periodically and if it is damaged or if damage to it is suspected; and

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    (b) the making of arrangements for timely repair or replacement in the event of damage or deterioration.

Marginal note:Disconnectable mooring system

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  148 (1) If the mooring system with which a floating platform is equipped is disconnectable, the operator must ensure that the system is designed to ensure that disconnection can be accomplished in a controlled manner without creating a risk of drift-off.

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  Marginal note:Safety plan

  (2) The operator must ensure that the disconnectable mooring system is designed and maintained in accordance with the measures referred to in clause 9(2)(b)(vi)(D) that are described in the operator’s safety plan.

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  Marginal note:Primary and backup systems

  (3) The operator must ensure that the disconnectable mooring system includes a primary system and a backup system for disconnection, both of which can be operated locally or from a remote location.

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  Marginal note:Floating platform capability

  (4) The operator must ensure that a floating platform that is equipped with a disconnectable mooring system is capable of

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    (a) safely manoeuvering away under its own power; and

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    (b) maintaining a safe position and heading while disconnected.

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  Marginal note:Criteria and procedures for disconnection

  (5) The operator must ensure that criteria and procedures for disconnection are developed for all credible disconnection scenarios, including procedures for monitoring environmental conditions and providing alerts for worsening conditions that may require disconnection.

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  Marginal note:Disconnection and reconnection

  (6) The operator must ensure that the disconnectable mooring system

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    (a) is capable of carrying out a planned disconnection after allowing time for the depressurization and flushing of subsea flowlines;

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    (b) is capable of carrying out an emergency disconnection after allowing time to safely shut in wells and subsea equipment;

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    (c) allows for the reconnection to the floating platform of the system and flowlines in an orderly sequence, in the physical and environmental conditions described in the operations manual under paragraph 157(2)(c); and

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    (d) allows for the resumption of production after the system and flowlines have been reconnected to the floating platform following a planned disconnection;

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  Marginal note:Periodic verification of disconnection capability

  (7) The operator must periodically verify the disconnect capability of the disconnectable mooring system and must record the findings resulting from the verification.

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  Marginal note:Excursion limits exceeded

  (8) The operator must ensure that the emergency disconnection referred to in paragraph (6)(b) is initiated if the floating platform exceeds the excursion limits established under subsection 147(2).