Revised ABS guidance makes tank entry safer, smarter and cost-effective

Modified requirements mean operators can halve the number of inspections required, driving safety and operational efficiency

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ABS has responded to the trend towards longer operating lifecycles with guidance that enables offshore asset owners to increase the intervals between tank openings.

In an industry first, ABS has published guidance that accommodates the periods between internal examination of tanks beyond the typical five-year requirements to once every 10 years.

“The guidance has the potential to maximise operational uptime for site-dependent assets such as floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs), floating storage and offloading vessels (FSOs) and floating offshore liquefied gas terminals (FLGTS),” Matt Tremblay, VP Global Offshore, ABS, and Russell Ford, Chief Surveyor-Offshore, ABS tell OGN energy magazine.

Such units are often engaged in long-term deployment on a single site, which can make it challenging for operators to maintain the tank examination schedule during the traditional five-year period.

Most importantly, and in line with ABS's safety-first mission, internal tank inspections are also potentially hazardous, so reducing the inspection frequency without compromising the structural integrity of the asset can advance safety performance.

Additionally, opening cargo tanks on such assets is disruptive in terms of opex and lost operating days so reducing the number of required inspections by half offers significant potential cost savings for operators.

BEYOND THE STANDARD

Drawing on the use of enhanced design criteria, ABS has updated its technical requirements for the design and construction for tanks that go beyond the typical five-year class cycle.

Based on achieving required safety factors, enhanced coatings requirements, and adherence to specified corrosion margins, it is possible to significantly extend the period between tank inspections.

These enhanced requirements include but are not limited to: