Canada Oil and Gas Installations Regulations (SOR/96-118)

Emergency Electrical Power

• 12 (1) Every offshore installation shall have an emergency source of electrical power that is independent of the primary source of electrical power and that is capable of supplying electrical power sufficient to operate, for at least twenty-four hours, the following equipment:

  • (a) all lights referred to in subsection (2);

  • (b) all gas detection and alarm systems;

  • (c) all fire detection and alarm systems;

  • (d) all firefighting systems except any fire pump that is driven by a liquid fuelled combustion engine;

  • (e) the general alarm system and all internal communication systems;

  • (f) the emergency shut down system referred to in section 18;

  • (g) all lifesaving systems;

  • (h) all navigation lights, sound signal systems and illuminated markings, that are required by section 21;

  • (i) all radio communication equipment necessary to comply with the contingency plans referred to in section 44;

  • (j) on a mobile offshore platform, the main ballast control system, one ballast pump for each individual ballast system and one bilge pump for each individual bilge system;

  • (k) on a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform, the secondary ballast control system;

  • (l) all equipment necessary to secure the production or drilling operations in progress at any one time in a safe manner, including a well disconnect system;

  • (m) if a pumping system is required under paragraph (l), one pump that is not driven by an internal combustion engine that has sufficient capacity to kill any well on the installation;

  • (n) any blow-out prevention system; and

  • (o) any manned diving equipment dependent on an electrical supply.

• (2) Every offshore installation shall be equipped with lights supplied by the emergency source of power described in subsection (1), in the following locations:

  • (a) every embarkation station on deck and over sides;

  • (b) every escape route and area containing escape route markings;

  • (c) all service corridors and corridors in accommodation areas, and all stairways, exits and personnel lift cars;

  • (d) all machinery spaces and main generating stations;

  • (e) the control station and all control points;

  • (f) all spaces from which the drilling and production operations are controlled and at which controls of machinery essential for the performance of those operations and devices for the emergency shut-down of the power plant are located;

  • (g) the stowage positions for firefighting equipment;

  • (h) each sprinkler pump and fire pump and each ballast and bilge pump, referred to in paragraph (1)(j), and the starting position for each pump;

  • (i) every helicopter landing deck and every obstacle marker on that deck; and

  • (j) the radio room.

• (3) Where the emergency source of electrical power required by subsection (1) is a mechanically driven generator, the offshore installation shall be provided with

  • (a) a transitional source of electrical power, unless the generator will automatically start and supply the power required by subsection (1) in less than 45 seconds from the time the primary source of electrical power fails; and

  • (b) a self-contained battery system designed to supply sufficient power, automatically on failure or shutdown of both the primary and the emergency sources of electrical power, to operate, for a period of at least one hour the equipment described in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) and, for a period of at least four days, the equipment described in subparagraph (iii):

    • (i) the lights located in every emergency exit route, at every escape route, in every machinery space, the control station and every emergency assembly room and at every launching station of the lifesaving system,

    • (ii) the internal communication system and the general alarm system, and

    • (iii) the navigation lights, sound signal systems and illuminated markings referred to in section 21.

• (4) The battery system referred to in paragraph (3)(b) shall be capable of returning to the trickle charge state on restoration of the primary or emergency source of electrical power.

• (5) The emergency source of electrical power required by subsection (1) shall, for a floating platform, be designed to function at full rated power when the installation is upright and when it is at any inclination up to a maximum angle of

  • (a) 22½ degrees about the longitudinal axis and 10 degrees about the transverse axis, in the case of a surface mobile offshore platform;

  • (b) 25 degrees in any direction, in the case of a column- stabilized mobile offshore platform; and

  • (c) 15 degrees in any direction, in the case of a self-elevating platform.

• (6) The location of the emergency source of electrical power and associated fuel storage, the transitional source of power, if any, and the emergency switchboard on an offshore installation shall be

  • (a) readily accessible from an open deck space;

  • (b) segregated by class A-60 divisions, as defined in subsection 23(1), from any space containing the main source of electrical power or the internal combustion engines;

  • (c) outside any hazardous area; and

  • (d) for a floating platform, located above the waterline that would exist if the platform were in a damaged condition and in a space outside any part of the platform if it were in that damaged condition.

• (7) Every onshore drilling rig except a drilling rig located on an ice platform shall have an emergency source of electrical power that is independent of the primary source of electrical power and that is capable of supplying electrical power sufficient to operate, for at least twenty-four hours, the following equipment:

  • (a) all warning systems;

  • (b) all emergency lighting;

  • (c) the general alarm system and internal communication system;

  • (d) all fire extinguishing systems, except any fire pump that is driven by an internal combustion engine that is liquid fuelled; and

  • (e) all equipment necessary to secure production or drilling operations in progress at any one time in a safe manner, including a well control system.

• (8) Every drilling rig that is located on an ice platform shall have an emergency source of electrical power that is

  • (a) capable of supplying electrical power sufficient to operate, for at least twenty-four hours, any well disconnect system;

  • (b) independent of the primary source of electrical power; and

  • (c) remote from the machinery housing.

• (9) The emergency source of electrical power required by subsection (1), (7) or (8) shall be designed to supply electrical power automatically, on failure of the primary source of electrical power, to a switchboard that is designed to direct the power to the equipment listed in that subsection.

Mechanical Equipment

• 13 (1) Every internal combustion engine on an installation shall be installed, maintained and operated in accordance with American Petroleum Institute RP 7C-llF, Recommended Practice for Installation, Maintenance and Operation of Internal-Combustion Engines.

• (2) Combustion air for every internal combustion engine and fired vessel shall be taken from non-hazardous areas.

• (3) Exhaust gas from every internal combustion engine and fired vessel shall be discharged to non-hazardous areas.

• (4) The air induction system of every diesel engine operating in a hazardous area shall be equipped with

  • (a) a flame arrester in the induction system;

  • (b) a shut-off valve that is located between the engine air inlet filter and the induction system flame arrester and that is capable of being closed automatically by the engine overspeeding device and manually;

  • (c) a flame arrester in the exhaust system; and

  • (d) a spark arrester in the exhaust system, downstream of the flame arrester.

• (5) Subject to subsection (13), the fuel supply system for every diesel engine shall be equipped with a manual shut-off device and, except for the emergency source of electrical power required by section 12, with a device that will automatically shut off the fuel supply if any of the following occur:

  • (a) overspeeding;

  • (b) high exhaust temperature;

  • (c) high cooling water temperature; or

  • (d) low lubricating oil pressure.

• (6) The engine crankcase breather pipe on every diesel engine shall

  • (a) be equipped with a flame arrester; and

  • (b) in the case of an engine in an enclosed Class I, Division 2, hazardous area, lead to the atmosphere outside the installation.

• (7) Basic operating instructions for every diesel engine shall give details of stop, start and emergency procedures and be permanently attached to the engine.

• (8) The layout of every gas turbine, including the location of the control points, shall take into account the ability of the control point closest to the turbine to withstand pressure waves in the event of an explosion in the gas turbine exhaust duct or gas turbine hall and the effects of the failure of a gas turbine rotor where the fragments cannot be contained.

• (9) Every gas turbine shall have, in addition to the speed governor, a separate overspeed device, arranged and adjusted so that the manufacturer’s overspeed limitations for the turbine cannot be exceeded by more than 15 per cent.

• (10) The air intakes and exhaust for every gas turbine shall be arranged to prevent, to the extent practicable, reingestion of combustion gases.

• (11) Every multi-engine gas turbine shall have a separate air intake and exhaust, arranged so as to prevent induced circulation through a stopped turbine.

• (12) All machinery, components and systems essential to the operation of a floating platform shall be designed to function at full rated power at any inclination, up to a maximum angle of

  • (a) in the case of a surface mobile offshore platform,

    • (i) 15 degrees in any direction under static conditions,

    • (ii) 22½ degrees in any direction under rolling dynamic conditions, and

    • (iii) 7½ degrees by bow or stern under rolling dynamic conditions;

  • (b) for a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform, 15 degrees in any direction; and

  • (c) for a self-elevating platform, 10 degrees in any direction.

• (13) The automatic shut-off device referred to in subsection (5) shall shut off the fuel supply to engines associated with fire pump systems only where overspeeding occurs.

• (14) Jacking mechanisms for self-elevating platforms shall, where possible, be arranged with redundancy so that a single failure of any component does not cause an uncontrolled descent of the platform.

Winterization

• 14 (1) Every installation shall be designed, constructed, equipped and insulated to ensure that, at the minimum air temperature that may occur at the drill site or production site during operations, based on an annual probability of exceedance of 10^-2,

  • (a) in the case of a production installation, the production equipment and other associated equipment will operate in a safe and efficient manner;

  • (b) the emergency shutdown system referred to in section 18 will perform its intended functions;

  • (c) drilling safety systems and associated equipment will operate safely and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications;

  • (d) the fluids in the following systems and components will not freeze, namely,

    • (i) fresh water tanks and the associated piping,

    • (ii) vent pipes,

    • (iii) components of the drainage system,

    • (iv) the hydraulic system and its components, including operators and cylinders, and

    • (v) the firefighting system, including pump drives and fuel supply lines, fire pumps and associated piping, fire hydrants, fire hoses and nozzles;

  • (e) every pneumatic control system will remain fully operational at all times;

  • (f) the lifesaving appliances and associated devices will remain operational; and

  • (g) in the case of a mobile offshore platform,

    • (i) the fluid in an operating ballast system, including the pumps, control systems and associated piping and valves, is protected against freezing,

    • (ii) the proper functioning of any thrusters is not impaired and the hydraulic fluid and lubricants for the thrusters have properties designed for such a temperature, and

    • (iii) the mooring winches and, where the platform is so equipped, the quick disconnect system will remain fully operational.

• (2) Every installation shall be equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, that will keep the locations mentioned in subsection (3) free of ice and snow and lines thawed so as to permit drilling, production and maintenance operations to be conducted safely.

• (3) Every installation that is equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, required by subsection (2) shall include outlets, hoses and hose clamps capable of being used in the following locations:

  • (a) work areas;

  • (b) walkways; and

  • (c) in the case of an offshore installation, the helicopter deck and the lifeboat embarkation stations.

• (4) Where temperatures below -20°C may occur, based on an annual probability of exceedance of 10^-2, at the drill site or production site more than one day per year and where the installation is equipped with steam-generating equipment, or an equivalent means, required by subsection (2),

  • (a) that equipment shall meet the requirements set out in subsection (2) when operating at 75 per cent capacity; and

  • (b) the installation shall be equipped with a second set of steam-generating equipment or another means of providing equivalent protection against ice, snow and freezing.