The Petroleum Safety Authority has given the thumbs down to the drilling systems on board Oslo-listed Songa Offshore's drilling rig the Songa Dee after having carried out an audit of its drilling and maintenance management systems.
On April 29 the PSA carried out a verification in connection with drilling systems and on May 7 the PSA carried out a verification of the maintenance management systems.
The verifications targeted technical conditions on board the facility and review of the onshore maintenance management system. The activity was part of the processing of the application for Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) for the Songa Dee facility.
The facility is undergoing various upgrades as well as renewal of classification certificates.
Songa Dee did have an AoC previously, when operating for Stena Drilling on the Norwegian Shelf.
Upgrading carried out during check
Reconstruction, upgrading and necessary maintenance were carried out on the facility during the verifications.
"This entailed that the drilling area was not ready for verification as a lot of the equipment on the drilling deck was dismantled. Nor was the BOP available at the shipyard," the PSA said.
As a result there was only a limited opportunity to verify how equipment and systems would work during operations.
"Three non-conformities were identified in drilling systems, related to the drilling fluid facility," the PSA audit said.
"Several non-conformities in safety-critical equipment were identified in maintenance management."
These had not been identified or had been the subject for an application of exemption for in the AoC application process.
The authority said the audit of the maintenance management was limited to a spot test of the company’s maintenance management system.