Abstract
Successful technology development and implementation of subsea All-Electric controls systems as an alternative subsea controls system to the traditional Electro-Hydraulic control systems requires high safety and reliability performance. This paper will address how reliability management and functional safety using international standards and industry guidelines have been applied by operator and supplier to qualify such new technology. The new subsea All-Electric control system supports lower carbon and robust design provides cost-efficiency for operators installing such equipment.
Technology development and technology qualification being applied for subsea All-Electric control systems by industry collaboration imply use of qualification processes in which safety, reliability and quality are essential issues. The paper will highlight the novelty of the new subsea production controls design and operational framework and will describe how integration of reliability methods and technology qualification processes can be successfully applied and benefit from standards and operator and supplier governance. A supplier will for example undertake reliability testing and operator will use reliability criteria as part of acceptance criteria for technology qualification approval. The multi-disciplinary use of international standards for reliability management and analyses supplement other subsea technical standards. The use of Reliability Management Programme covering performance objectives expressed by system performance measures, e.g., technical and operational availability, will be addressed.
The added business value of new subsea All-Electric control system as compared to traditional Electro-Hydraulic control system will be described, e.g., reliability-based design, subsea intervention differences and safety and environmental issues. The attention and application of international standards in new technology development have provided improved quality in decision-support essential for an operator to implement and manage risk of new technology. The framework of understanding of the complete subsea production system in which subsea control is one technology element is important to allocate reliability targets that ensures new subsea All-Electric controls is at least similar or better quality than traditional subsea Electro-Hydraulic controls systems.
The paper will demonstrate the benefit in use of international standards for improved reliability management enabling robust design and high quality in decision support for new technology. The paper will also highlight the importance of functional safety requirements compliance balanced with operator performance objectives for uptime for subsea production. This is essential to be a first user of new technology and have quality confidence of the new technology to the stakeholders.
