Open for comment: draft ageing assets and life extension guidance

Overview

NOPSEMA has developed and is seeking feedback on new industry guidance.

The guidance discusses ageing assets and life extension in the Australian regulatory context, and promotes the review of management systems used on offshore oil and gas facilities, with a focus on managing the risks associated with ageing

The intent of the new guidance is to promote practices that ensure risks associated with ageing assets are managed to be as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Informed by international research and experience, the guidance recognises that the age of a facility and equipment is less important than its condition and the effects of material deterioration and damage over the lifetime of a project. To reduce risks associated in later life, the guidance reinforces that duty holders’ management systems should incorporate lifecycle management principles to asset ageing and life extension.

Under relevant legislation, operators are required to have in place accepted risk management plans, which include safety cases, well operations plans, offshore project proposals and environment plans.

Plans are assessed by NOPSEMA’s teams of technical and scientific experts against requirements set out in the Offshore Petroleum Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGGS Act) and associated regulations.

To provide feedback on the draft guidance note, please submit comments to safetycaseguidance@nopsema.gov.au by no later than COB Thursday 24, December 2020.

NOPSEMA will consider all feedback provided during the public comment period and, where necessary, contact stakeholders for further clarification. All personal information will be managed in accordance with NOPSEMA's Privacy policy.