Systems Reliability Section (SRS)
When BSEE determines a piece of equipment or system doesn’t perform safely offshore, technical staff from the Systems Reliability Section (SRS) collaborates with operators, industry professionals, and subject-matter experts to conduct and/or oversee challenging technical equipment evaluations. The section assesses fitness for service, or/and the root causes of incidents and near-miss events.
Under the Emerging Technology Branch, the Systems Reliability Section (SRS) observes and oversees quality-assurance and quality-control testing of offshore equipment. BSEE assembles a team of experts for the study, the Quality Control-Failure Incident Team (QC-FIT).
The team evaluates and develops recommendations for the following:
- Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs), Regulations, Policies, Procedures - Recommends changes to BSEE policy, procedures, NTLs and/or regulations that promote continuous improvement in offshore oil and gas operations.
- Industry Standards - Recommends changes, improvements, requirements to industry standards promoting Quality Assurance and Quality Control improvements of equipment or systems manufacture, performance, reliability and safe operation.
- Safety Alert - When applicable, recommends Safety Alerts to address QC-FIT findings.
- Best and Available and Safest Technology (BAST) - Recommends improvements for the use of best available and safest technology (BAST) in accordance with OCSLA during all phases of offshore oil and gas operations on the OCS.
- Research – recommends applied research studies for improvements.
Root Cause Analysis
The team determines the root cause of component and equipment failures, and identifies quality-assurance and quality-control issues, which may contribute to accidents, events, and near-misses during offshore drilling and production operations.
These QC-FIT technical evaluations are separate and distinct from BSEE’s District Form 2010 Incident Investigations, or regional panel investigations, which focus primarily on field operational procedures, regulatory compliance, plans and permits. Instead, QC-FIT evaluations may recommend a need for further applied technology study to address quality-assurance, quality-control and performance-reliability concerns of new equipment or technology. For example, some equipment used on the offshore wasn’t available or existing when the initial industry standards and/or regulations were created, and the QC-FIT team examines these equipment and manufactured parts to identify indications that the equipment isn’t "fit for service," or to identify a critical gaps in the standard or regulation. In this case, the team may recommend a revision to an existing rule, or the creation of a new industry standard, or manufacture and performance requirement.
Life Cycle Evaluations
Another way SRS supports safety offshore is through SRS life-cycle evaluations, which focus on the independent validation and verification of manufacturer’s recommendations and system-user requirements. The SRS has associations with independent-third parties, certified verification agents, classification societies, academia, and national or private laboratories.
The SRS makes recommendations based on the findings of these evaluations, and when appropriate, BSEE may initiate standards-development work, conduct further applied research studies, and direct other improvements.
All reports are submitted to BSEE’s director. Once assessed, and if approved, a decision may be integrated into the bureau’s regulatory program, as part of a new, modified existing requirement, development and subsequent consensus-based standard, Notices to Lessees and Operators, or changes to permit conditions or approvals. The goal of the SRS is to improve the overall safety, reliability and performance of offshore equipment, and to protect and conserve environmental resources during offshore oil and gas operations.
Interagency Bolt Action Team (IBAT)
The SRS discovered several failures throughout the oil and gas industry relating to subsea bolting failures, particularly on the subsea blowout preventers (BOP). This is a critical piece of equipment and therefore was a major concern for BSEE.
In response to these failures the Interagency Bolt Action Team (IBAT) was formed by BSEE to bring together subject matter experts (SMEs) from different industries to combine knowledge on bolting failures and develop best practices across all industries on bolting manufacturing and use.
To find out further information, click here to go to the following page which will be updated as the IBAT continues their work.
CONTRACTS - TAP
SRS team members serve as subject matter experts (SME) and Contracting Officer Representatives (COR) for Technical Proposal Evaluation Committees (TPEC) for TAP research contracts in areas such as:
- Materials and Corrosion
- Subsea Fasteners
- Safety of Oil and Gas Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf
- High Temperature High Pressure (HPHT) Material Evaluations
- Liner and Casing seals
- Cementing
- Effect of H2S and CO2 in HPHT Wells on Tubulars and Cement
Click here for more information on current TAP research.
STANDARDS
SRS team members continuously engage with industry standards organizations to help improve safety, equipment reliability, and environmental protection in the OCS. SRS team members are active in several boards and committees as non-voting members in organizations such as API, ASME, ANSI, ASTM, NACE, AWS, etc. The SRS role is to help identify significant manufacturing, processing, design and requirements concerns, equipment performance issues, fit for service, operational environment, and optimal material design requirements for OCS equipment.
SRS assists the Regulations and Standards Branch (RSB) by serving as BSEE representatives and as technical SMEs for the following API Committees meetings. SRS members also reviewed, provided technical comments of concern on the draft API documents.
- SRS participates in wind energy standards meetings with RSB.
- Performed standards review of ISO, ASTM, API, NORSOK, and NACE standards identified inconsistency in material properties (e.g. hardness, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength) requirement gaps for subsea application material property requirements.
- API 11D1 – Packers and Bridge Plugs
- API 14A – Specification for Subsurface Safety Valves
- API 16A - Specification for Drill-through Equipment
- API 16AR – Specification for Drill-through Equipment Repair and Remanufacturing
- API 16F – Specification for Marine Drilling Equipment
- API 16Q – Recommended Practice for Design, Selection, Operation and Maintenance of Drilling Riser Systems
- API 16R – Specification for Marine Drilling Riser Couplings
- API17TR8 – High-Pressure High-Temperature Design Guidelines
- API 19LH – Liner Hangers
- API 20E - Alloy and Carbon Steel Bolting for Use in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries
- API 20F - Corrosion Resistant Bolting for Use in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries
- API Q1 – Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for Manufacturing Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry
- API Q2 – Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for Service Supply Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry
- API 18 Life Cycle Management (LCM)
- API Subcommittee 6 – Valves and Wellhead Equipment
- API 6A- Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment
- API 6A718 – Nickel Base alloy 718
- API RP 6HT – Recommended Practice for Heat Treatment and Testing of Carbon and Low Alloy Steel Large Cross Section and Critical Section Components
- API CSOEM - Committee on Standardization of Oilfield Equipment and Materials
- API SC 5 – Subcommittee on Tubular Goods
- API SC 20 – Subcommittee on Supply Chain
- ASME BPVC Section VIII Div 2 and 3
- NACE MR0175 – Metals for Sulfide Stress Cracking and Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistances in Sour Oilfield Environments