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Progress in standardizing Christmas trees

Appropriately, in the weeks leading to the year-end holiday period, IOGP published updated – and potentially universal — specifications for subsea Christmas trees.

The report was prepared by Joint Industry  Project (JIP)  33 for the Standardization of Equipment Specifications for Procurement.  JIP 33 is organized by IOPG with support from the World Economic Forum. Membership consists of 17 operating companies who are working to leverage and improve industry-level standardization.

The report, Supplementary Requirements to API Spec 17D Subsea Trees, builds on the participating members’ company specifications and supplements API Specification17 D – one of the few key global benchmarks defining the technical requirements for subsea trees.  The IOGP specification provides alignment in how users might supplement the API standard.

Also driving the JIP 33 work was a pilot project initiated in 2015 by the Subsea Committee, with BP, Statoil and Total leading efforts to find alignment on the subsea trees’ technical specifications.

The newly-published IOGP specifications apply to any type of subsea tree design, and is not intended to limit users in defining options. Moreover, the document reflects discussions with all global suppliers of the equipment; ensuring that the specifications do not limit the use of any qualified technology or product.

The 28-page specification includes information on service conditions and production specification levels, common system requirements as well as general and specific design requirements.

Other  JIP 33 specifications covere ball valves,  low-voltage switchgear and piping matieral.

Commenting on the new document, Per-Arne Nilsen of Total, who chaired the work group responsible, says that ‘the next step is for individual operating companies to evaluate this specification and consider whether to replace their own specification with this joint specification – and so achieve real standardization across the oil and gas industry’.

JIP 33 Steering Committee Chair Ian Cummins of BP adds: ‘The work to align all the JIP 33 members on the technical requirements has been challenging, but done in a very positive and open atmosphere. The members have made a strong effort to focus on simplification and cost saving requirements without any compromise on safety or product reliability.’

The IOGP S-561 specification is freely available on the IOGP website.

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