Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
The following DP Guidelines are for vessels that may not have a vessel specific DP Guideline
onboard. If your vessel has vessel specific DP Guidelines, then you must refer to those
guidelines
DP Classification
International Maritime Organization (IMO) have defined three equipment classes:
Equipment Class 1
Loss of position may occur in the event of a single fault.
Equipment Class 2
Loss of position should not occur from a single fault of an active component or system
such as generators, thruster, switchboards, remote controlled valves etc, but may
occur after failure of a static component such as cables, pipes, manual value etc.
Equipment Class 3
Loss of position should not occur from any single failure including a completely burnt
fire subdivision or flooded watertight compartment.
A single fault includes a single inadvertent act by any person onboard the DP vessel
Principle for All DP Vessels
Basic Philosophy
A fully operational DP system shall reliably keep a vessel in position and working such
that the maximum excursion from vessel motions and position control system accuracy
shall be equal to, or less then, half the critical excursion for the work being carried out.
Safe working Limits
Safe working limits shall be determined for each geographical location and type of task
to be performed. These limits must be consider every possible failure mode, and the
likely time to restore the DP system and/or move clear of an area such that a safe
situation exists, particular attention should be paid to the following scenarios:
• Failure of any section of the power generation, distribution and control systems
• ‘Blackout’ situation and the vessel movement against time to restore power while
operation within the 500m zone
• Time to recover any equipment or divers form the sea to a safe position
• Divers working within a jacket
• Water depth
Note: ‘A Safe Situation’ means where the work has or could immediately cease and
there are no serious consequences
‘Safe Working Limits’ are the environmental limits that would make a critical excursion
from a single fault very unlikely either through adequate control and power remaining;
environmental loads are small and the time to reach a safe position is short; existing
circumstances and conditions position loss do not have any serious consequences.
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
Redundancy of Equipment
All DP vessels used to support ‘diving, drilling, flotel, pipelay operations’ must be Class
2
Class 1 DP vessels requiring to operate within 500m zone of the installations must
have procedures which reflect the possible loss of equipment and position. They will be
required to operate in a ‘blow-off sector’ and will not be allowed to approach closer
then 100m to the Installation. (‘Blow-off sector’ means a position where if all power on
the vessel is lost, then the vessel will drift clear of the installation.)
Required levels of redundancy shall be addressed during pre-mobilization hazard
analysis and evidenced within project documentation.
It is essential that all key DP personnel know the consequences to be expected from
various failures as the levels of sophistication and redundancy of vessels vary
considerably. To assist Operation with worst case failure for Class 2 and Class 3
equipment, the DP control system for vessel built after 1 July 1994 should have
consequence analysis function checking that, in terms of thruster and power, the
vessel can maintain station following the worst failure mode.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Documentation on the reliability and availability of the DP system shall be available in
the form of a FMEA. Client required FMEAs for Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 DP
vessels. The FMEA should be updated after any major changes to plant or equipment,
its should be a live document held onboard the vessel and the core crew should be
familiar with its contents. The purpose of an FMEA is to give a description of the
various failure modes of the equipment referred to its operational task:
• Functional breakdown of the DP system or subsystem into blocks with each block
described
• Description of the physically and functionally independent item and the associated
failure mode
• Description of the effect of each failure mode on other items within the system, and
on the DP system as a whole
• The FMEA should be used as a reference document by the crew to understand the
consequences of any failure
(The reason Client requires an FMEA for Class 1 vessels is to understand the number
of single point failure, although most single point failures are permitted, and to give the
crew the document for reference purposes.)
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
Capability Plots
The maximum continuous operational station-keeping capability for the DP system
shall be calculated for the following cases:
• All thrusters operational with maximum effective thrust
• All thrusters, except the most effective thruster, operational with maximum effective
thrust
• The maximum number of thruster and/or power units remaining operational after
the worst single failure
• The equivalent loading on all thrusters in the intact condition shall be calculated to
correspond with the above bullet point
This information shall be presented in the form of a polar plot. For each condition,
several current speeds shall be considered, eg 0, 1, 2, 3 knots, etc. Current to be
coincident with wind and associated wave loads to be from a fully developed sea.
This theoretical exercise is to provide plots which should be verified during the vessel’s
operational life, in the form of ‘footprint’ plots which are to be retained onboard for
reference.
DP Operation File
Every DP vessel shall have an operations file particular to its DP system and the
operating practices of the Owners/Operators. It shall cover all the work for which the
vessel is designed or likely to be used and shall include, but not limited to, the
following:
• Capability plots
• Working profiles and capabilities of equipment
• DP alerts and emergency responses
• Responsibilities and communications
• Manning
• Trials and checklist procedures
• Reporting and recording procedures
• DP footprints
Third Party Audit
All new DP vessels are required to undertake proving trials in addition to and after,
testing and commissioning trials. The DP system shall be proven in all normal mode of
operation. When all normal modes are functioning correctly, failure modes shall be
simulated and the results of such tests documented. Finally, performances shall be
demonstrated in both the intact and various failed conditions.
Such audits shall be carried out (observed) and properly documented by a competent
third party and the results made available.
Annual Proving Trials
DP2 Vessels are required to have DP proving trials shall be carried out annually by a
competent independent third party, Master or C/E.
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
Manning
When any vessel is operating on DP within 500m safety zone of an installation, there
are to be two trained DP Operators on the bridge at all times. They will man the DP
console alternately, being relieved at regular intervals.
On vessels where there are extended periods on DP, at least two people is capable of
assuming the role of DP operator, must be provided for each watch.
On any vessel, the DP Operators will, after a specific period of duty, have an
equivalent period off duty. No DP operator will have a period of duty exceeding 12
hours.
When any vessel is operating within 500m zone of any Installation, the vessel’s engine
room will be manned by a qualified person at all times.
Additionally, at least one competent and qualified Engineering Officers are to be on
duty at all times.
There must be onboard one engineer trained in DP maintenance that is capable of
minor fault-finding and maintenance of the DP system.
Position References
The number and types of position reference required shall depend upon the nature of
the work to be performed as well as the environment in which they are required to
operate. Care is needed to determine whether redundancy is completely provided by
duplication of similar sensors. Similar sensors must be stand-alone completely
independent of each other.
For DP diving vessels, well fracturation vessels, construction vessels, flotel and
vessels involved with the drilling or transfer of hydrocarbons, there must be a minimum
of three independent reference systems of which two shall be different type. At least
two independent sensors shall be deployed and online, with the third sensor online
whenever possible or available for immediately selection.
For shallow water DP Operations, reference is to be made to IMCA document ‘DP
Position Loss Risks in Shallow Water’ and where possible at least one surface radio
position system shall be used.
A vessel may operate within the 500m safety zone of an installation, up to a distance
from the installation of 200m, if it has a second reference system tested and available
for immediate operation.
Weather Precautions
Due regard shall be paid to any indications of impending weather changes, in particular
sudden wind shifts and/or gusting, to ensure that timely action is taken to reduce the
possibility of loss of position. Prior to commencing operations every effort should be
made to assess any known unusual currents that occur as a result of changing weather
conditions.
• Obtaining regular and frequent weather forecasts for the area of operations, and
use of facsimile facilities and charts
• Seeking information by radio from other units in the vicinity about prevailing
weather conditions in their areas
• Use of experience to assess the prevailing conditions and likely trends
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
• The presentation of environmental information measured by the DP system and
any trends in conditions which it can provide
• The use of onboard meteorological instruments
DP Hazards
Operations Close to Obstructions
Particular care must be excised when operation on DP in close proximity to fixed
objects such as platforms, mooring buoys etc. The use of anchors and tug shall always
be avoided unless the DP system is particularly equipped and proven for operating with
anchor lines. These options are not preferred and shall only be approved after having
been fully considered and all other possible alternatives rejected. It is not normally
necessary or desirable to use backup moorings alongside a structure. The value of a
visual reference from the DP control position to provide an early additional indication of
vessel movement is substantial, and the DP vessel heading shall be selected to make
this feasible whenever possible.
Close to other Vessels
When operating on DP close to another vessel, which may or may not be on DP, a
vessel is potentially subject to several forms of interference. These include thruster
wash (which may affect both hulls and taut wires), acoustic and radio position
reference signal interference and intermittent shelter from wind and sea. These factors
shall be considered when planning such operations and due allowance made for them.
This may take the form of assuming less accurate position-keeping then would
normally be expected. Co-ordination and choice of positions of the vessel, is essential.
Comprehensive procedures shall be established and approved by the Marine
Consultancy Branch prior to the commencement of the operation. Working close to
vessels are not on DP, eg cargo handling from supply vessels, shall be avoided
especially if divers are deployed.
Cargo Operations
A vessel operating on DP alongside an offshore installation may conduct supply vessel
loading/unloading operations provided:
• The wash from the supply vessel does not impinge on the station-keeping ability of
the DP vessel/barge
• Cargo work does not interfere with the DP vessels PRF’s
The DP master, Client representative and, if diving operations are involved shall all
agree to allow the cargo work to take place
That if simultaneous containerized cargo/diving operations tale place, there is a safe
horizontal separation between the overside life and the divers work area
That if simultaneous tubular cargo/diving operations take place, then the distance from
such operations to the diving activity shall be equal to or greater then the water depth
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
Pre-setup Checks
Prior to establishing position-keeping on DP at the worksite, the vessel will carry out a
series of pre-setup checks to ensure that all power generation, distribution and control
systems are fully operational.
These checks will be carried out by any vessel outwith the 500m safety zone of an
installation prior to commencing operations on DP within that zone.
In the case of any vessel which has been operating on DP immediately prior to
entering the 500m safety zone, the completion of such a checklist will not be required
prior to entering the zone.
Vessels entering the 500m zone must advise the Installation OIM of the operational
status, confirm that they have completed the generic DP checklist which have a 500m
safety zone and receive permission to enter the zone.
Closest Approach
The closest approach to an offshore installation shall not be less than 10m.
Where DP operations take place close to an offshore installation and within a mooring
spread, the DP vessel/barge shall have a 180° safe sector for exit. In the case of a
diving vessel if the bell is below the catenary then it shall not be close then 50m to any
mooring line, the safe sector shall be on recovery of the diving bell and the guide
weight above the mooring catenary.
At all positions within that ‘safe exit sector’ the deepest part of the vessel/barge hull or
hull penetration where applicable, shall be at least 10m above the mooring catenary.
In all case where close approach is required, scale plan and drawings shall be
provided to ensure that:
There are no surface obstructions such as offshore installation platform extremities,
lifeboats, gantry systems, etc. The lateral and roll movements of the vessel shall
always be taken into account
There are no subsurface obstructions caused by the ‘batter’ of deep water jacket leg
structures. Operators shall always be aware of the dangers associated with a taut wire
position reference system should it become fouled and give corrupt information
Pipelay Vessels
All DP pipelay vessels shall be minimum of DP Class 2 or DP Class 3 and operating in
that mode.
A vessel maintaining position while providing a steady tension on a pipeline or
umbilical shall meet the following criteria:
• No known failure shall result in the sudden total loss of tension
• The determination of safe working limits shall consider the consequences of a
sudden failure of the tension load from mechanical failure so that such a failure
does not risk:
Injury to personnel working on or near the line
The vessel coming into contact with any nearby structure or vessel
Lifting injury during crane operation from attendant vessel
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Revision Number: 7
DP Guidelines Date Effective: 2005-01-01
Approved: L. Lelean
SEACOR
The safe working limits shall additionally be determined by the limits of heading
capability from failure of thrusters furthest from the tensioned equipment in beam
environmental conditions.
Survey and ROV, Trenching Support Vessels
Design Philosophy
All DP survey, ROV or trenching vessels shall be a minimum of DP Class 1. If DP
Class 1 then the vessel will have to operate inside the 500m zone in a vector drift off
situation and no closer then 100m to the platform. In addition to the information given in
Paragraph 1 and 2, a survey and/or ROV support vessel shall meet the following
criteria:
No known failure shall cause a position loss, which could result in contact with another
vessel, mooring line or offshore structure, or cause the trencher/plough to be dragged
off location
The determination of safe working limits shall reflect the location in which the work is
being carried out, the time to recover to a safe situation, and the relative size of the
vessel and any nearby structure
ROV Launch, Operation and Recovery
The contractor’s procedures for the launch, recovery and operation of the ROV shall be
strictly adhered to.
If the vessel/barge is required to provide a lee for the launch or recovery of the ROV, it
shall be carried out at least 200m away from the installation.
Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ROV umbilical does not become
entangled with a propeller, thruster unit or taut wire position reference system.
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