§250.920. What are the BSEE requirements for assessment of fixed platforms?

You must document all wells, equipment, and pipelines supported by the platform if you intend to use either the L-2 or L-3 exposure category. Exposure categories are defined in API Recommended Practice 2SIM, Section 5.3.4 (incorporated by reference, see § 250.198). If BSEE objects to the exposure category you used for your assessment, you may need to redesign and/or modify the platform to adequately demonstrate that the platform is able to withstand the environmental loadings for the appropriate exposure category.

You must perform an analysis check when your platform will have additional personnel, additional topside facilities, increased environmental or operational loading, inadequate deck height, or suffered significant damage (e.g., experienced damage to primary structural members or conductor guide trays or global structural integrity is adversely affected); or the exposure category changes to a more restrictive level (see Section 8.3 of API Recommended Practice 2SIM for a description of assessment initiators).

You must initiate mitigation actions for platforms that do not pass the assessment process of API Recommended Practice 2SIM. You must submit applications for your mitigation actions (e.g., repair, modification, decommissioning) to the Regional Supervisor for approval before you conduct the work.

The BSEE may require you to conduct a platform design basis check when the reduced environmental loading criteria contained in API Recommended Practice 2SIM Sections 9 through 12 are not applicable.

By November 1, 2009, you must submit a complete list of all the platforms you operate, together with all the appropriate data to support the assessment category you assign to each platform and the platform assessment initiators (as defined in API Recommended Practice 2SIM) to the Regional Supervisor. You must submit subsequent complete lists and the appropriate data to support the consequence-of-failure category every 5 years thereafter, or as directed by the Regional Supervisor.

The use of API Recommended Practice 2SIM is limited to existing fixed structures that are serving their original approved purpose. You must obtain approval from the Regional Supervisor for any change in purpose of the platform, following the provisions of Section 18, Re-use, in API Recommended Practice 2A-WSD (incorporated by reference, see § 250.198).