Chapter 3. UK Regulatory Initiative on the Extreme Environmental Loading of Fixed Offshore Installations in the North Sea

A significant number of offshore installations on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf are considered to be ageing installations which have exceeded their original design lives and were designed to less stringent criteria than those required of modern installations using current standards. As a result, they have not been designed to survive the 10,000-year environmental event, which is now a requirement for UK waters. A study was recently completed on behalf of the HSE’s Energy Division to develop guidance providing recommendations for the development of industry practice on the assessment of extreme loading acting on fixed offshore structures and the evaluation and management of the risk of structural failure associated with extreme environmental loading.

It was concluded that current procedures may underestimate the capacity of some offshore structures to withstand the 10,000-year event and that further work is required to develop industry practice on the assessment of the extreme weather capacity of offshore structures and mitigation measures to ensure their continued safe operation. It was further concluded that a programme of stakeholder engagement is required to raise awareness of the issue. This paper outlines the work undertaken, the general findings and recommendations and the latest offshore industry initiatives to take these forward.