The oil and gas industry across the world relies on commercial diving contractors to assist with the various stages of production. Very often, the need for diving is underestimated by the operator, although on any given day, there are hundreds of dives taking place offshore and inland to support oilfield operations.
In the upstream sector, manned diving is routinely used for the installation, repair and maintenance of subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) and for maintaining floating and fixed structures. In midstream operations, underwater inspection and maintenance of ships and terminals is common. For downstream operations, underwater services are deployed mainly for maintaining industrial ponds, canals, and tanks used to supply water for facilities and refining, or navigation channels for vessel transit. The environmental sector, too, deploys marine biologists to perform surveys and studies of marine animals, plants and corals.
Critical activity
Understanding the importance of diving as a critical activity and its associated risks in the planning phase of the project is important. The underwater environment makes access to the worksite challenging, and the professional and technical resources needed to undertake the complex work can be very limited.
A single diver working hundreds of meters underwater may be performing a critical task like installing a production system component, repairing a pipeline or assessing a structure to ensure continued safe operations. Scenarios like this show how important diving can be in a portfolio of solutions, and the impact that it can have on safety, schedule, cost, quality, environment, and operating performance.
A good example of the critical need for diving is the support it provides to the vast global fleet of ships and ocean-going carriers delivering petroleum products. Divers perform cleaning and Underwater Inspections in Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD), which is carried out routinely over the service life of the vessel.
Additionally, divers clean and remove marine growth from the ship’s hull, sea chests and propulsion systems, which if not done routinely, causes hydrodynamic deficiencies, such as loss of speed resulting in increased fuel consumption. The biochemical corrosion damage caused by marine growth can greatly increase the maintenance costs to the ship and reduce its lifecycle.
Diving is also used in the construction and maintenance of jetties, piers and dock facilities at shore based locations, and for maintaining inland pipelines and cables that can cross rivers and other bodies of water.
Diving: risks versus benefits
Despite numerous benefits that diving offers to oil and gas operators, there are some risks that must be carefully considered by both, the driving contractors and operators. The health and safety risks to the underwater worker can have severe consequences, if not recognised and managed. Injuries and fatalities could occur if the diving operation is not planned and executed following best practices and guidelines.
Some of the more severe risks of diving include decompression illness, pressure differential creating suction hazards, and energising a ship’s mechanical or electrical systems when the diver is present. Some of the most common causes of incidents are failure to identify underwater hazards, improper isolation of energy sources, not using a permit to work system, and lack of knowledge and experience in key personnel.
In response to some of the more hazardous activities, operators and service companies have leveraged technology well, creating intervention methods for some underwater tasks that were traditionally performed by divers. Today, some of these intervention methods can be used in conjunction with divers to reduce risk.
Despite technological advancements, many tasks still rely on manned diving to provide efficient and predictable solutions. And when managed diligently, while thoroughly applying proven safe work practices and standards, the risks are significantly reduced to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
Key areas for operator focus
Oil and gas operators should consider three key elements to increase the likelihood of safe and efficient diving activities.
- Infrastructure design: Ensure that the operators’ facilities and systems are considerate of using divers. Designing ‘diver friendly’ systems and components early in planning is necessary to eliminate or reduce hazards and complex work problems that diving contractors are often left to solve during installation, repair or decommissioning.
- Contractor selection: Ensure the underwater operation is carried out by a competent and qualified diving and marine service contractor, proficient in the work scope needed. Not all diving services are the same. Different water depths, work location and environments require different methods of diving, such as surface supplied air diving or Helium-Oxygen saturation diving. Some contractors specialise in inspection services, while others are proficient in construction or repair. And the vast array of underwater tasks requires specialised techniques and tooling needed to accomplish the work. Diving regularly accompanies activities such as subsea lifting and placing, seabed excavation, welding and cutting, pipefitting, bolting, non-destructive testing (NDT), and many other common tasks. It’s imperative to know the service providers capabilities and to apply the right tool to the right job.
- Regulation and best practice application: Occupational diving has various degrees of regulation, depending of the country and industry of application. In some cases, there are limited or no regulations at all. In contrast, there are several national and international standards that apply. Knowing the right application of regulation and standard is important when diving is used.
Systematic approach to advance diving safety
As frequent users of diving services, oil and gas operators are in a position to set standards, technologies, and working practices that provide a framework for the diving industry to deploy new solutions for better quality service and innovation in underwater work.
The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), Diving Operation Sub-Committee recognised the need for consistent collaboration with different industry stakeholders and began an initiative for cross industry sharing of knowledge and experience. Working closely with the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the IOGP DOSC has established the International Diving Industry Forum (IDIF) as a platform and partnership for sharing.
Since its inception, IDIF works collectively to create better practices, spread awareness of learnings from incidents, creates an inclusive environment for other industry sectors to come together, and champions advancement in diving safety, equipment innovation and personnel skills and competence.
For oil and gas operators, incorporating the IOGP Diving Recommended Practice into operational management systems, and participating in a diving safety forums is a proven way to ensure that the risks and benefits of diving can be well understood and effectively managed.
As the oil and gas industry continues to expand offshore, the complex challenges of working in the subsea environment will continue as well. In response, oil and gas operators must continue to inspire innovation in technologies and methods to meet the demand for safe and efficient underwater solutions, and continue to address risks for scopes requiring
diving activities.
