At the recent Offshore Technical Committee, held for the first time at our Global Technology Centre in Singapore, two new Rule-sets were approved which will be made public later this month (May 2013).

These two new Rule-sets; The Floating Offshore Installations at a Fixed Location 2013 Rules and the Mobile Offshore Unit 2013 Rules, contain several changes from previous versions in order to improve usability, reflect industry best practice, new novel designs and legislative changes.

• The MOU Rules have been completely overhauled and new drilling notations added, including DRILL, DROPS and ISIS;

• And the FOIFL Rules were improved with key changes relating to new requirements and guidance for FLNG assets; a new Part 11 added for “Product, Storage and Offloading of Liquefied Gases in Bulk” and “Guidelines for the calculation of probabilistic explosion loads”.

The Offshore Technical Committee consists of representatives from national and international oil companies, EPC contractors, owners, operators, fabricators, shipbuilders, equipment vendors and representatives from a number of academic and research organisations, and will meet annually at alternate locations with a premise to create and share best-practice and knowledge, discuss implications of upcoming legislation on the industry as well as technology developments and improvements in Rules.