Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations (SOR/2024-26)

Marginal note:Materials handling equipment

• 137 (1) An operator must ensure that all materials handling equipment is

  • (a) to the extent feasible, designed and constructed to prevent the failure of any of its parts, taking into account the conditions under which it is to be operated;

  • (b) to the extent feasible, equipped with safety devices that will ensure that any failure of any of its parts does not result in a loss of control of the equipment or of its load or result in any other hazardous situation; and

  • (c) operated taking into account the manufacturer’s instructions and industry standards and best practices.

• Marginal note:Marking

  (2) The operator must ensure that all materials handling equipment is marked with its rated capacity and in a manner that identifies its manufacturer and model and that permits reference to any information that is necessary to its safe operation, including information regarding its design, construction, inspection, testing, maintenance and repair.

• Marginal note:Inspection and proof test

  (3) The operator must ensure that materials handling equipment that is to be used on an installation is inspected and proof-tested by a competent third party in the following situations to determine the equipment’s rated capacity:

  • (a) the equipment is to be used on the installation for the first time;

  • (b) repairs or modifications have been made to the equipment’s load-bearing components;

  • (c) the equipment has been in contact with an electric arc or current; and

  • (d) there is any other reason to doubt that the rated capacity of the equipment that was most recently certified under subsection (5) or the limitations that were most recently indicated under that subsection continue to be accurate, including as a result of damage sustained by the equipment or modifications made to it.

• Marginal note:Criteria for inspection and testing

  (4) The operator must ensure that the inspection and proof-testing is done in accordance with criteria established by the manufacturer or applicable industry design and safety standards, including with respect to the frequency at which the equipment must be inspected and proof-tested to ensure its continued safe operation.

• Marginal note:Rated capacity

  (5) Following the inspection and proof test, the competent third party must certify in writing the rated capacity of the materials handling equipment and must indicate in writing any limitations that must be imposed on its use having regard to physical and environmental conditions.

• Marginal note:Emergency slewing and lowering

  (6) The operator must ensure that a crane with slewing capability is capable of retaining its slewing and lowering capability in emergency situations.

• Marginal note:Pedestal crane

  (7) The operator must ensure that a pedestal crane meets the following requirements:

  • (a) it must be equipped with

    • (i) appropriate travel-limiting devices for its boom, hoist, blocks and slewing mechanism,

    • (ii) a load-measuring device that has been calibrated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications or any calibration standard that is at least as rigorous as those specifications,

    • (iii) a device to indicate its boom extension or load radius, if its rated capacity is affected by the extension or radius,

    • (iv) a device to indicate its boom angle, if its rated capacity is affected by that angle,

    • (v) a device for accessing anemometer readings, if the load that it is able to safely handle or support is susceptible to being reduced by wind,

    • (vi) a gross overload protection system, if it is used to move persons or things to or from a floating platform or vessel, and

    • (vii) a safe load indicator system that is programmed for different operating modes and includes load and moment measuring devices; and

  • (b) a load chart that specifies the boom angle and the safe working load for each block and for each operating mode, as well as any limitations indicated under subsection (5), must be posted inside its control cab.

• Marginal note:Crane hooks

  (8) The operator must ensure that all crane hooks are equipped with spring-loaded latches or other equally effective means of preventing the load from falling off the hook under any operating conditions.

• Marginal note:Landing or take-off

  (9) When an aircraft is landing on or taking off from a landing area, it is prohibited to move a crane in the vicinity of the landing area and, if feasible, the person operating the crane must ensure that the crane’s boom is stowed.

• Marginal note:Lifting device certification

  (10) The operator must ensure that any materials handling equipment that lifts over 10 tonnes is certified by the certifying authority.

Marginal note:Subsea production system

• 138 (1) An operator must ensure that a subsea production system is designed, constructed, installed, commissioned, operated, inspected, monitored, tested and maintained in accordance with the measures referred to in clauses 9(2)(b)(v)(F) and 10(2)(b)(v)(F) that are described in the operator’s safety plan and environmental protection plan, respectively.

• Marginal note:Design

  (2) A subsea production system must be designed so that

  • (a) the system can avoid foreseeable hazards or revert to a safe state when hazards are imminent;

  • (b) the system supports and seals connections to the well, pipelines, other subsea production systems or other installations;

  • (c) in the event of a loss of control or communication, the system will revert to a safe state;

  • (d) the failure of a single component of the system cannot cause or contribute to a major accidental event;

  • (e) barrier elements in each conduit that carries fluids are reliable, have the necessary redundancy and are arranged to

    • (i) prevent uncontrolled flow of well fluids,

    • (ii) minimize the quantity of fluids released from the conduit in the event of unintended release, and

    • (iii) permit testing of the integrity of the barrier elements without increasing safety or environmental risks;

  • (f) subsea equipment can withstand or is protected from any load to which it may be subjected that would result in mechanical damage;

  • (g) production risers can withstand or are protected from all hazards and environmental loads to which they may be subjected, other than icebergs; and

  • (h) the blowout preventer is supported by the system during drilling and the tree and any workover or intervention pressure control equipment are supported by the system after completion.

• Marginal note:Disconnectable riser

  (3) The operator must ensure that a riser that is connected to a floating platform that has a disconnectable mooring system or dynamic positioning system is designed to be capable of safely detaching in any foreseeable physical and environmental conditions.

• Marginal note:Riser disconnect

  (4) The operator must ensure that, if risers are designed to disconnect in order to avoid foreseeable hazards, riser fluids may be safely displaced by water or isolated.

• Marginal note:Riser integrity

  (5) The operator must ensure that, if a riser is disconnected, its integrity is demonstrated through testing once it is reconnected and before it is brought back into service.

• Marginal note:Control of subsea production system

  (6) The operator must ensure that a subsea production system is controlled from only one location at any given time.

• Marginal note:Failure modes and effects analysis

  (7) The operator must ensure that any subsea production system is assessed through a failure modes and effects analysis.

Marginal note:Temporary or portable equipment

• 139 (1) An operator must ensure that any temporary or portable equipment used on an installation is fit for the purposes for which it is to be used.

• Marginal note:Assessment of temporary or portable equipment

  (2) Before any temporary or portable equipment is installed or brought into service on an installation, the operator must ensure that the equipment and its integration with other equipment and systems are assessed to determine their impact on safety-critical elements and on the risk assessment referred to in subsection 24(3).

• Marginal note:Measures

  (3) The operator must ensure that temporary or portable equipment is managed in accordance with the measures referred to in clauses 9(2)(b)(v)(G) and 10(2)(b)(v)(G) that are described in the operator’s safety plan and environmental protection plan, respectively, and in a manner that does not compromise the target levels of safety set out in those plans.

• Marginal note:Verification by certifying authority

  (4) The operator must ensure that temporary or portable equipment that is a safety-critical element is, before being put into operation, verified by the certifying authority to confirm its suitability and safe placement and hook-up.

Additional Requirements for Platforms

Marginal note:Classification

140 An operator must ensure that a floating platform holds a valid certificate of class issued by a classification society that corresponds to the authorized work or activity to be carried out from the floating platform.

Marginal note:Air gap

141 An operator must ensure that a platform that is either founded on the seabed or column-stabilized has a sufficient air gap to operate safely under the maximum environmental load conditions to which it may be subjected.

Marginal note:Stability

• 142 (1) An operator must ensure that a floating platform, whether intact or in a damaged condition, is stable and can be operated safely, having regard to all motions and loads to which it may be subjected, including by

  • (a) determining the stability and motion response characteristics of the platform using analysis or model testing;

  • (b) determining the critical maximum loads and motions that the platform can withstand;

  • (c) ensuring that all equipment is fastened to prevent unintended movement; and

  • (d) monitoring and recording all loads that could affect the motions, stability or inclination of the platform.

• Marginal note:Freeboard

  (2) The operator must ensure that a floating platform has sufficient freeboard to operate safely under the maximum environmental load conditions to which it may be subjected.

• Marginal note:Requirement — Codes

  (3) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code and Part B of the IS Code concerning the stability and motion response of a floating platform, which are to be read as mandatory.

• Marginal note:Deadweight survey

  (4) If the weight of a floating platform or a self-elevating mobile offshore platform changes by more than 1% of the lightship weight, the operator must ensure that a deadweight survey is carried out at the earliest opportunity and an up-to-date value of the lightship centre of gravity is calculated.

Marginal note:Self-elevating mobile offshore platform

• 143 (1) An operator must, in relation to a self-elevating mobile offshore platform, ensure that a site-specific assessment is conducted of the condition of the seabed, including seabed restraint, to ensure that the platform is stable and can be operated safely.

• Marginal note:Requirements

  (2) The operator must ensure that a self-elevating mobile offshore platform meets the following requirements:

  • (a) it must be equipped with systems to actively monitor

    • (i) hull inclination,

    • (ii) leg penetration into the seabed,

    • (iii) loads on each of the platform’s legs, and

    • (iv) rack phase differential, if applicable; and

  • (b) its jacking mechanisms must be designed so that the failure of a single component does not cause an uncontrolled descent of the platform.

• Marginal note:Suspension of operations and well shut-in

  (3) The operator must ensure that the works and activities on a self-elevating mobile offshore platform are suspended and that all wells associated with the platform are brought to a safe shut-in condition if

  • (a) hull inclination or the rack phase differential exceeds the allowable limits set out in the operations manual in accordance with paragraph 157(3)(b);

  • (b) unexplained changes occur in the loads on any of the platform’s legs;

  • (c) leg penetration into the seabed increases; or

  • (d) any other event threatens the stability of the platform.

• Marginal note:Corrective measures

  (4) In the case of any of the situations referred to in subsection (3), the operator must ensure that the works and activities on the self-elevating mobile offshore platform remain suspended and that all wells associated with the platform remain in a safe shut-in condition until the cause of the situation has been investigated and corrective measures have been taken.

Marginal note:Ballast and bilge systems

• 144 (1) An operator must ensure that a floating platform is equipped with reliable ballast and bilge systems with the necessary redundancy in their components to

  • (a) maintain necessary draught, stability and hull strength under all foreseeable operating conditions;

  • (b) return the floating platform to a safe condition from an unintended draught, trim or heel;

  • (c) prevent unintended transfer of fluid within the system;

  • (d) empty and fill all tanks that are a part of the system; and

  • (e) completely and rapidly empty watertight spaces.

• Marginal note:Requirement — Code

  (2) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code concerning ballast and bilge systems, which are to be read as mandatory.

• Marginal note:Secondary ballast control station

  (3) In the case of a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform, the operator must ensure that it is equipped with a secondary ballast control station that is equipped with

  • (a) an effective means of communication with other spaces that contain equipment relating to the operation of the ballast system;

  • (b) a ballast pump control and status system;

  • (c) a ballast valve control and status system;

  • (d) a tank level indicating system;

  • (e) a permanently mounted ballast schematic diagram;

  • (f) heel and trim indicators;

  • (g) a draught-indicating system;

  • (h) a system to indicate the available power from the main and emergency electrical power supplies; and

  • (i) a ballast system hydraulic or pneumatic pressure-indicating system.

• Marginal note:Location — secondary ballast control station

  (4) The operator must ensure that a secondary ballast control station is located above the waterline in the final condition of equilibrium after flooding if the floating platform is in a damaged condition.

• Marginal note:Failure modes and effects analysis

  (5) The operator must ensure that the ballast and bilge systems are assessed through a failure modes and effects analysis before any authorized work or activity is carried out from the floating platform.

Marginal note:Watertight and weathertight integrity and freeboard

• 145 (1) The operator must comply with the applicable provisions of the MODU Code and Part B of the IS Code concerning watertight and weathertight integrity and freeboard, which are to be read as mandatory.

• Marginal note:Watertight subdivision

  (2) The operator must ensure that the floating platform is designed with sufficient watertight subdivision to ensure the preservation of reserve buoyancy and damage stability under all foreseeable conditions.

• Marginal note:Load line certificate

  (3) The operator must ensure that a floating platform

  • (a) holds an International Load Line Certificate or an International Load Line Exemption Certificate issued by the government of the state whose flag the platform is entitled to fly, as required under Article 16 of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966; and

  • (b) is marked in accordance with the certificate.

• Marginal note:Watertight and weathertight appliances

  (4) The operator must ensure that the arrangement and specification of watertight and weathertight appliances complies with the measures referred to in clause 9(2)(b)(v)(H) that are described in the operator’s safety plan.

• Marginal note:Water ingress

  (5) The operator must ensure that a floating platform is designed with systems and equipment that provide for the operation, monitoring and indication — both locally and at the ballast control stations — of the opening and closing of watertight doors and hatches and for the detection and provision of alerts of any water ingress into watertight spaces that are not designed to accumulate liquid.

• Marginal note:Port lights

  (6) The operator must ensure that the columns of a column-stabilized mobile offshore platform do not have port lights or similar openings.