IMCA Newsroom

Press Release 19/07

KEEPING DP OPERATIONS SAFE

Safe operation of dynamically positioned (DP) vessels is of vital importance to the global offshore oil and gas industry. Ian Giddings, Technical Adviser at the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) recently outlined at the Marine Technology Society (MTS) Dynamic Positioning Conference how fundamentally important the guidance, information notes, safety notes and incident reports gathered by IMCA are to the industry.

For many years IMCA (and its predecessor the DP Vessel Owners Association) has produced the guidance, information notes, safety notes and incident reports about DP based on information gathered from its members and the wider industry. Ian Giddings' presentation in Houston to an international audience looked at the work already done in the area and, even more importantly, at what is to be done in the future, which includes not only updating existing guidance but also providing new guidance on simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) and well-specific operating guidelines (WSOG) and the review of new position measuring equipment.

"Over the past 16 years IMCA has collected data on over 800 DP incidents," Ian Giddings explained. "I presented to delegates at the MTS conference, over half of whom had travelled from outside the USA, the way in which IMCA collects and analyses these incidents, and the changes to be made so that the lessons learnt can be drawn out more clearly and the information can be of more benefit to the end users such as companies, DP operators and training centres. We have now shifted the analysis of incidents in-house from outside contractors and believe that not only will this ensure earlier analysis and the more rapid dissemination of safety flashes if appropriate, but also provide anonymity on all reports which should encourage more reporting."

Further information on all aspects of IMCA’s work can be found at www.imca-int.com. Further information on the work of MTS is at www.mtsociety.org. MTS is a North American organisation formed to promote awareness, understanding, advancement and application of marine technology.

Notes to Editors (common)

• IMCA is an international association with over 450 members in more than 50 countries, representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies. IMCA has four technical divisions, covering marine/specialist vessel operations, offshore diving, hydrographic survey and remote systems and ROVs, plus geographic sections for the Americas Deepwater, Asia-Pacific, Europe & Africa and Middle East & India regions, as well as a core focus on safety, the environment, competence and training. IMCA seeks to promote its members' common interests, to resolve industry-wide issues and to provide an authoritative voice for its members.
• IMCA publishes some 200 guidance notes and technical reports. These have been developed over the years and are widely distributed. They are a definition of what IMCA stands for, including widely recognised diving and ROV codes of practice, DP documentation, marine good practice guidance, the Common Marine Inspection Document, safety recommendation, outline training syllabi and the IMCA competence scheme guidance. In addition to the range of printed guidance documents, IMCA also produces safety promotional materials, circulates information notes and safety flashes.
• Judith Patten is here to help you if you want any additional information on IMCA; would like to discuss a feature article; want to organise interviews with key members of the IMCA team, etc.