Subsea pipelines

The SP technical supervision is carried out in order to classify it, to check the conditions of retaniment of class and the SP compliance with the requirements of the Register during the design, construction, offshore operations during construction (installation), commissioning, operation, modernization, repair, preservation and disposal.

The SP technical supervision consists in verifying its compliance with the RS requirements in the following cases:

• review and approval of technical documentation

• survey of items of supervision at the stages of manufacture, construction, operation including modernization and repair 

The Register activities related to the SP classification and technical supervision of the construction, manufacture of materials and products are performed under contracts with customers concluded on a voluntary basis.

Technical supervision of the Register during the design, construction and operation of SP as offshore oil-and-gas facilities on the sea self is carried out along with the procedures for supervision of these facilities by the regulatory authorities of the Russian Federation in accordance with the requirements of the RF legislation.

Appraisal of design and working documentation for construction of subsea pipelines (SP) 

The SP construction and the manufacture of materials and products for SP is carried out in accordance with the technical documentation approved by RS.

Prior to the technical supervision of the SP design, construction and/or operation, technical documentation is submitted to RS for review to ensure that the requirements of the Register Rules for this equipment, materials and products, as well as the quality of the services provided are fully met.

Technical documentation for SP may be submitted to RS as one of the following options depending on the design stage:

• justification of investments for offshore field development project;

• SP technical design or offshore field development project;

• working design and process documentation for SP construction and repair-and-renewal operations design;

• regulatory and technical documents, technical conditions, processes

• procedures for SP processes and maintenance;

• technical documentation for SP components, data sheets and operating instructions. 

Documents issued according to the results of the appraisal of design and working documentation: 

• The RS review results for technical documentation are completed by stamping with RS appropriate stamps on the documents and/or making a Conclusion Letter. When reviewing technical documentation in electronic form, stamping is done using software tools and certified by an electronic digital signature of the Register’s authorized specialist.

Technical supervision during manufacture of materials and products for SP 

Technical supervision during manufacture of materials and products only applies to the properties parameters and characteristics, which are regulated by the SP Rules and the SP Guidelines and indicated in the approved technical documentation. When performing the technical supervision of the manufacture of materials and products for SP specified in the RS Nomenclature of SP Technical Supervision, RS provides:

• review of technical documentation for compliance with the requirements of the RS Rules for the Classification and Construction of Subsea Pipelines and Guidelines for Subsea Pipelines;

• approval (certification) of SP materials and products with the issuance of certificates of compliance;

• approval of welding processes;

• approval of welding consumables;

• certification of welders;

• recognition of testing laboratories;

• recognition of firms (manufacturers);

• audit of firms;

• approval of software systems.

Documents issued based on the survey results 

Certificate of Compliance for a specific product (С, СЗ) - a document that certifies the compliance of specific materials, products or groups of products with the requirements of the RS Rules and regulatory and technical documentation.

Type Approval Certificate (СТО) - a document that certifies the compliance of types of products or product groups with the requirements of the RS Rules.

• Recognition Certificate of Testing Laboratory (СПЛ) - a document that certifies the competence of a laboratory to make certain types of tests of materials and products;

• Recognition Certificate for Manufacturer (СПИ) - a document that certifies the recognition by RS of a firm as a manufacturer of materials and products for ships under RS technical supervision;

• Recognition Certificate (СП) - a document that certifies the recognition of a company-service provider, which provides services (performs work) in accordance with RS requirements;

• Certificate of Firm Conformity (ССП) - a document that certifies the compliance of a company with the RS requirements when performing the declared work;

• Certificate of Approval for Welding Consumables (СОСМ) and Welding Procedure Approval Test Certificate (СОТПС) - documents that confirm the compliance of welding consumables and welding processes with the requirements of the RS Rules. 

The RS certificates are issued in electronic or paper format. The RS certificates with electronic digital signature are issued in electronic format only. According to the results of surveys, an email is sent to the customer that contains a direct link to the document.

To ensure the transparency, to simplify the search for documents and to protect against forgery, a unique QR code is applied to the RS Certificates. Freely distributable software (freeware) can be used to read it.

Technical supervision during construction

Technical supervision during the SP construction is carried out on the basis of the working technical documentation approved by RS under an agreement concluded between RS and a company that is engaged in the SP construction.
Prior to beginning the technical supervision of the SP construction, the company shall be audited by RS for compliance with the RS Rules. According to the audit results, a Report is made with the relevant appendix or a Certificate of Firm Conformity (ССП) can be issued.
In the water areas of the Russian territorial offshore shelf and internal water areas, the RS technical supervision of the SP construction does not substitute the monitoring by the supervision bodies of the Russian Federation unless otherwise specified by special agreements.

Documents issued based on the survey results

• Certificate of SP survey upon completion of construction;
• SP classification certificate

Classification surveys in service

For SP within the RS class, technical supervision in service is carried out in the form of periodical surveys. Where necessary (in case of accidents or incidents at SP) occasional surveys are conducted.
Periodical surveys are carried out by the Register in order to confirm/renew the SP class. As a rule, RS proposes to the customer to harmonize the system of SP surveys conducted by the SP operator/owner with the RS periodical classification surveys.
The basis for the Register to carry out the SP technical supervision is a contract concluded by the Register with the SP owner/operator.

While in service, SP undergo the following surveys:

• initial;
• periodic (annual, intermediate and special);
• occasional.

A scope of periodical surveys is determined by the Register in accordance with the design features of a particular SP, its maintenance schedule and the results of previous surveys.

According to the results of the SP annual/intermediate/special survey, RS makes a Report, which, given positive results of the surveys, confirms the validity of the SP class for the next annual period, and given positive results of the special survey, extends the validity of the SP class with the relevant entry made in the Classification Certificate that is valid (with annual confirmation) until the next special survey.

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