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

Marginal note:Programs

• 158 (1) An operator must develop the following programs to ensure the continued integrity of an installation, including its systems and equipment, from the time the installation is commissioned until it is abandoned or removed from the offshore area:

  • (a) the maintenance program referred to in section 159;

  • (b) the preservation program referred to in section 160; and

  • (c) the weight control program referred to in section 161.

• Marginal note:Program implementation and update

  (2) The operator must ensure that the programs are implemented and periodically updated.

Marginal note:Maintenance program

• 159 (1) The maintenance program must set out the inspection, monitoring, testing and maintenance policies and procedures for the installation, including its systems and equipment, that are necessary to ensure safety, protect the environment and prevent waste.

• Marginal note:Requirements

  (2) The maintenance program must

  • (a) include the measures to ensure that the installation, including its systems and equipment, continues to perform in accordance with its design specifications;

  • (b) include the measures to ensure compliance with any inspection, monitoring, testing or maintenance requirements under this Part;

  • (c) include the performance standards developed by the operator for the installation, including for its systems and equipment;

  • (d) take into account the failure modes and mechanisms of safety-critical elements and the causes of their failure;

  • (e) include inspection and monitoring activities that occur at a frequency and in a manner to prevent, if practicable, the failures referred to in paragraph (d), or to mitigate the effects of those failures, and to ensure that safety-critical elements are repaired, replaced or modified without delay and in accordance with section 162; and

  • (f) include predictive and preventive maintenance activities and schedules for each safety-critical element that

    • (i) are based on the performance standards referred to in paragraph (c),

    • (ii) take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations and industry standards and best practices,

    • (iii) specify a minimum frequency for the comprehensive inspection of each safety-critical element, taking into account its condition and the conditions under which it is used,

    • (iv) for rotating equipment, provide for partial or complete dismantling and inspection at a frequency necessary to maintain the equipment in good condition and to ensure that the equipment’s functionality, availability, reliability and performance are in accordance with its design specifications,

    • (v) provide for a periodic maintenance regime for any low running-hour equipment, such as emergency generators, essential generators and fire pumps, and

    • (vi) provide for the management of spare parts so that critical spare parts are available on the installation to ensure the continued functionality, availability, reliability and performance of each safety-critical element in accordance with its design specifications.

Marginal note:Preservation program

• 160 (1) The preservation program must set out the measures that are necessary to ensure the integrity of equipment that is taken out of service and stored for future use.

• Marginal note:Periodic inspection

  (2) The program must provide for the periodic inspection of the stored equipment to verify its integrity and ensure that it is fit for the purposes for which it is to be used if it is brought into service.

Marginal note:Weight control program

161 The weight control program must set out the measures that are necessary to ensure that the weight and centre of gravity of each installation are kept safely within the installation’s operating limits.

Marginal note:Safety-critical element — repair, replacement or modification

• 162 (1) The holder of a certificate of fitness must ensure that the certifying authority and the Chief Safety Officer are notified before a safety-critical element is repaired, replaced or modified and before any equipment that would change the design, performance or integrity of a safety-critical element is brought on board the installation.

• Marginal note:Approval before repair or modification

  (2) The holder of a certificate of fitness must ensure that the approval of the certifying authority is obtained before a safety-critical element is repaired or modified.

• Marginal note:Verification

  (3) The holder of a certificate of fitness must ensure that a safety-critical element that has been repaired or modified is not put into operation until the certifying authority has verified it and

  • (a) confirmed that it is fit for the purposes for which it is to be used, can be operated safely without posing a threat to persons or the environment and meets the requirements of these Regulations; and

  • (b) imposed any limitation on the operation of the installation that is necessary to ensure that the installation meets the requirements referred to in paragraph 28(1)(b).

• Marginal note:Emergency repair or modification

  (4) In an emergency, subsections (2) and (3) do not apply if the installation manager considers that the delay required to comply with the requirements under those subsections endangers persons on the installation or the environment.

• Marginal note:Verification after emergency

  (5) A safety-critical element that is repaired or modified in an emergency must be verified by the certifying authority in accordance with subsection (3) as soon as the circumstances permit.

• Marginal note:Non-application

  (6) This section does not apply in the case of an adjustment made to or the testing of a boiler or pressure system fitting.

Wells

Marginal note:Drilling fluid systems

163 An operator must ensure that

• (a) the drilling fluid system and associated monitoring equipment provide an effective barrier against formation pressure, ensure safe well operations, prevent pollution and allow for well evaluation;

• (b) the indicators and alarms associated with the monitoring equipment are strategically located on the drilling rig to alert persons on it; and

• (c) dedicated personnel provide continuous monitoring, using independent monitoring systems, of parameters that are critical to safe well operations or to the detection of a gain or loss of drilling fluid while the installation is connected to the well and is taking fluid returns.

Marginal note:Drilling riser

• 164 (1) An operator must ensure that every drilling riser is, throughout the duration of a well operation, capable of

  • (a) providing access to the well;

  • (b) isolating the well-bore from the sea;

  • (c) withstanding the differential pressure of the drilling fluid relative to the sea;

  • (d) withstanding the maximum loads to which it may be subjected; and

  • (e) permitting the drilling fluid to be returned to the installation.

• Marginal note:Drilling riser support

  (2) The operator must ensure that every drilling riser is supported in a manner that effectively compensates for any loads caused by the motion of the installation, the drilling fluid or the water column.

• Marginal note:Drilling riser analysis

  (3) The operator must ensure that a drilling riser analysis and, in the case of a floating platform that uses a dynamic positioning system, a weak-point analysis of the drilling riser are conducted and that the certifying authority in relation to the installation approves those analyses.

Marginal note:Fail-safe subsurface safety valves

• 165 (1) An operator must ensure that a completed development well is equipped with a fail-safe subsurface safety valve that

  • (a) can be operated from the surface; and

  • (b) if the well is located where permafrost is present in unconsolidated sediments, is installed in the production tubing below the base of the permafrost.

• Marginal note:Additional valve

  (2) The operator must ensure that a completed development well on a fixed platform that has gas-lift, injection or production capabilities in the A-annulus is equipped with an additional fail-safe safety valve on the A-annulus.

• Marginal note:Requirements

  (3) The operator must ensure that all fail-safe safety valves are designed, installed, tested, maintained and operated to prevent uncontrolled well flow when they are activated.

Marginal note:Well tubulars, trees and wellheads

• 166 (1) An operator must ensure that well tubulars, trees and wellheads are operated in accordance with good engineering practices.

• Marginal note:Sour environment

  (2) The operator must ensure that any well tubulars, trees or wellheads that may be exposed to a sour environment are capable of operating safely in that environment.

• Marginal note:Safe and efficient operation

  (3) The operator must ensure that the wellhead and tree equipment, including any valves, are designed and maintained to operate safely and efficiently throughout the life cycle of the well under all loads to which the well may be subjected.

Marginal note:Formation flow test equipment

• 167 (1) An operator must ensure that the equipment used in a formation flow test is designed to safely control well pressure, evaluate the formation and prevent pollution.

• Marginal note:Rated working pressure

  (2) The operator must ensure that the rated working pressure of formation flow test equipment at and upstream of the well testing manifold exceeds the maximum anticipated shut-in pressure.

• Marginal note:Overpressure

  (3) The operator must ensure that all equipment downstream of the well testing manifold is protected against overpressure.

• Marginal note:Downhole safety valve — development well

  (4) The operator must ensure, in the case of a development well, that the formation flow test equipment includes a downhole safety valve that permits closure of the test string above the packer.

• Marginal note:Downhole safety valve — exploratory or delineation well

  (5) The operator must ensure, in the case of an exploratory well or a delineation well drilled on a geological feature, that a downhole safety valve is installed before a formation flow test is conducted unless

  • (a) it has been demonstrated as part of the formation flow test program referred to in paragraph 63(3)(a) that the level of risk of the proposed alternative arrangement in that program is equivalent to or lower than that of using a downhole safety valve; and

  • (b) the Board has approved the test under subsection 63(5).

• Marginal note:Subsea test tree

  (6) The operator must ensure that any formation flow test equipment used in testing a well that is drilled with a floating drilling unit has a subsea test tree that is equipped with

  • (a) a valve that can be operated from the surface and automatically closes when required to prevent uncontrolled well flow; and

  • (b) a release system that permits the test string to be hydraulically or mechanically disconnected within or below the blowout preventers.

Pipelines

Marginal note:Pipeline integrity — standard

• 168 (1) An operator must ensure that a pipeline is designed, constructed, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with CSA Group standard Z662, Oil and gas pipeline systems, as it relates to offshore pipelines.

• Marginal note:Integrity management program

  (2) The operator must ensure that the pipeline system integrity management program required by that standard is implemented and periodically updated.

Monitoring of Installations, Wells and Pipelines

Marginal note:Monitoring of systems

• 169 (1) An operator must ensure that an installation is equipped with a central monitoring system in the main control centre to monitor all systems whose failure could cause or contribute to an accidental event or waste.

• Marginal note:Management of associated systems

  (2) The operator must ensure that the alarm, safety, monitoring, warning and control functions associated with the systems that are monitored under subsection (1) are managed to prevent reportable incidents and waste.

• Marginal note:Suspension of related system

  (3) When a function referred to in subsection (2) is suspended or found to be impaired, the operator must ensure that the use of any related system is also suspended until

  • (a) in the case of a function that is suspended, that function is returned to service; and

  • (b) in the case of a function that was found to be impaired, measures are implemented to offset the risk of a reportable incident or waste.

• Marginal note:Affected persons informed

  (4) The operator must ensure that all affected persons are informed when a function referred to in subsection (2) is suspended and when it is returned to service.

Marginal note:Deterioration

• 170 (1) An operator must, without delay, notify the Chief Safety Officer of any deterioration of an installation, including its systems or equipment, or of a pipeline, well, vessel or support craft if that deterioration could adversely affect safety or the environment.

• Marginal note:Notice to certifying authority

  (2) If an installation, system, equipment, pipeline or part of a well referred to in subsection (1) is within the scope of work referred to in section 31, the operator must also, without delay, notify the certifying authority of the deterioration.

• Marginal note:Impairment rectification

  (3) The operator must ensure that any impairment of an installation, including its systems or equipment, or of a pipeline, well, vessel or support craft is rectified without delay if the impairment could adversely affect safety or the environment.

• Marginal note:Mitigation measures

  (4) If it is not possible to rectify the impairment without delay, the operator must

  • (a) conduct a risk assessment to identify risk mitigation measures;

  • (b) implement those mitigation measures; and

  • (c) ensure that the impairment is rectified as soon as the circumstances permit.

• Marginal note:Non-application

  (5) Subsections (3) and (4) do not apply in respect of safety-critical elements.

PART 11Support Operations

Marginal note:Support craft

• 171 (1) An operator must, in respect of an installation on which persons are normally present, ensure that

  • (a) a support craft that is at a distance from the installation not greater than that required for a return time of 20 minutes is available at all times for emergency response; and

  • (b) whenever an aircraft is landing or taking off, or personnel are working over the side or otherwise exposed to the risk of falling in the water, a support craft is available in the immediate vicinity of the installation and ready to undertake rescue and recovery operations.

• Marginal note:Requirements

  (2) The support craft referred to in subsection (1) must be

  • (a) capable of safely providing necessary support functions in the foreseeable physical and environmental conditions prevailing in the area in which it operates;

  • (b) equipped to supply emergency services, including rescue and first aid treatment, for all personnel on the installation in the event of an emergency; and

  • (c) equipped with a self-righting fast rescue boat that

    • (i) meets the requirements under chapter V of the LSA Code,

    • (ii) is capable of being launched and retrieved when it is loaded with a full complement of persons and equipment, and

    • (iii) is ready for deployment in the event of an emergency.

• Marginal note:Required distance exceeded

  (3) If the support craft is located at a distance that exceeds the distance referred to in paragraph (1)(a), both the installation manager and the person in charge of the support craft must log that fact and the reason why the distance or time was exceeded.

• Marginal note:Vessel master

  (4) During any activity or situation referred to in paragraph (1)(b), or any other activity or situation that presents an increased level of risk to the safety of the installation, the vessel master must, under the direction of the installation manager, keep the craft in close proximity to the installation, maintain open communication channels with the installation and be prepared to conduct rescue operations.