International Standards Used Locally Worldwide: Adopting ISO Standards for the (Offshore) Oil and Gas Industry As National Standard by 34 European Countries in a Single Process

Standardisation is the process of developing a standard at an international, regional or national level. The oil and gas industry welcomes international standards as tool to do its operations efficiently and responsibly, and to demonstrate to comply with regulations, where applicable. In this way, the oil and gas industry uses international standards as part of their licence to operate. Because the oil and gas industry is acting globally, it would like to prevent that they have to deal with different standards depending on the region or country in which they operate. Therefore, the oil and gas industry strives for international standards that are also adopted as national standards across the world. The European oil and gas industry supports this vision by adopting the international standards as European standards, which will then become the national standard as well in 34 European countries at once. Also in the field of offshore structures and more recently Arctic operations, international standards are being developed or revised to respond to the needs of the industry. These standardisation activities include European involvement to ensure alignment of the standards portfolio of the oil and gas industry.