months provided that testing can be performed in a nondestructive manner. Open flame or devices operating at temperatures which could ignite a methane-air mixture shall not be used. All combustible gas-detection systems shall be calibrated every 3 months.

(9) All TSH devices shall be tested at least once every 12 months, excluding those addressed in paragraph (a)(6) of this section and those which would be destroyed by testing. Burner safety low and flow safety low devices shall also be tested at least once every 12 months.

(10) The ESD shall be tested for operation at least once each calendar month, but at no time shall more than 6 weeks elapse between tests. The test shall be conducted by alternating ESD stations monthly to close at least one wellhead SSV and verify a surfacecontrolled SSSV closure for that well as indicated by control circuitry actuation.

(11) Prior to the commencement of production, the lessee shall notify the District Supervisor when the lessee is ready to conduct a preproduction test and inspection of the integrated safety system. The lessee shall also notify the District Supervisor upon commencement of production in order that a complete inspection may be conducted.

(b) Records. The lessee shall maintain records for a period of 2 years for each subsurface and surface safety device installed. These records shall be maintained by the lessee at the lessee's field office nearest the OCS facility or other locations conveniently available to the District Supervisor. These records shall be available for review by a representative of MMS. The records shall show the present status and history of each device, including dates and details of installation, removal, inspection, testing, repairing, adjustments, and reinstallation.

[53 FR 10690, Apr. 1, 1988, as amended at 55 FR 47753, Nov. 15, 1990)

§ 250.125 Safety device training.

Personnel installing, inspecting, testing, and maintaining these safety devices and personnel operating the pro

duction platforms shall be qualified in accordance with subpart O.

§ 250.126

Quality assurance and performance of safety and pollution prevention equipment.

(a) Safety and pollution prevention equipment installed on the OCS shall meet the quality assurance requirements identified in paragraph (c) of this section. The MMS will consider approval of other quality assurance programs for the manufacture of safety and pollution prevention equipment. Quality assurance programs proposed for consideration by MMS shall be submitted to the Deputy Associate Director for Offshore Operations; Minerals Management Service; Mail Stop 647; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 22070-4817.

(b)(1) By August 29, 1988, each lessee shall submit to the Deputy Associate Director for Offshore Operations a list of all certified and noncertified SSV's (both actuator and valve), USV's (both actuator and valve), and SSSV's (including safety valve locks and landing nipples) in the lessee's inventory as of April 1, 1988. The list shall indicate which items of the safety and pollution-prevention equipment were manufactured under American National Standards Institute/ American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard ANSI/ASME SPPE-1, Quality Assurance and Certification of Safety and Pollution-Prevention Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations and shall identify each listed item by manufacturer, serial number, model, the date the item entered inventory, and whether the item is in service on the OCS or in stock for installation on the OCS.

(2) Lists received from lessees under paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall be maintained by MMS. An SSSV shall be removed from the list when it is removed from service for a failure or malfunction. A USV or an SSV shall be removed from the list when it is removed from service for remanufacture (repairs employing machining, welding, heat treating, or other manufacturing operations). Lessees shall notify the Deputy Associate Director for Offshore Operations when an SSSV is re

341-117 0-93-9

moved from service for a failure or malfunction or a USV or SSV is removed from service for remanufacture (repairs employing machining, welding, heat treating, or other manufacturing operations).

(c) Safety and pollution-prevention equipment used in the OCS shall meet one of the following:

(1) Be identified on the list submitted under paragraph (b) of this section by a lessee of the lease on which the item is to be installed,

(2) Be certified by the manufacturer as having been produced under a quality assurance program that meets the requirements of ASME/ANSI SPPE1-1988 and addenda a, b, c, and d, or

(3) Be certified by the manufacturer as having been produced under a quality assurance program that meets the requirements of API Spec Q1 and the technical specification API Spec 14A for SSSV's and API Spec 14D for SSV's and USV's.

(d) The installation, inspection, maintenance, testing, removal, redress, field repair, and documentation of safety and pollution-prevention equipment used in the OCS shall be in accordance with API RP 14B for an SSSV and API RP 14H for an SSV or USV. A remanufactured SSV or USV shall meet the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.

(e) Each lessee shall report the failure of safety and pollution-prevention equipment certified in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) or (3) of this section.

(1) Equipment certified under paragraph (c)(2) shall be reported in accordance with section OE-2670 of ASME/ANSI SPPE-1-1988 and addenda a, b, c, and d.

(2) Equipment certified under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, shall be reported in accordance with section 2 of Appendix C of API Spec 14A or API Spec 14D, as appropriate.

(3) Equipment certified under both paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) shall be reported in accordance with both section OE-2670 of ASME/ANSI SPPE1-1988 and addenda a, b, c, and d, and section 2 of appendix C of API Spec 14A or API Spec 14D, as appropriate.

(f) Each lessee shall report the installation of equipment certified in ac

cordance with either paragraph (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section, to the manufacturer of the equipment on the shipping and receiving report that comes with the equipment.

[53 FR 10690, Apr. 1, 1988; 53 FR 12227, Apr. 13, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 50617, Dec. 8. 1989; 55 FR 10617, Mar. 22, 1990; 55 FR 37710, Sept. 13, 1990; 55 FR 47753, Nov. 15. 1990]

$ 250.127 Hydrogen sulfide.

Production operations in zones known to contain hydrogen sulfide (HS) or in zones where the presence of HS is unknown, as defined in § 250.67 of this part, shall be conducted in accordance with that section and other relevant requirements of subpart H, Production Safety Systems.

Subpart I-Platforms and Structures § 250.130 General requirements.

(a) The lessee shall design, fabricate, install, use, inspect, and maintain all platforms and structures (platforms) on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to assure their structural integrity for the safe conduct of drilling, workover, and production operations, considering the specific environmental conditions at the platform location.

(b) All new fixed or bottom-founded platforms (i.e., platforms or other structures, e.g., single-well caissons, artificial islands), shall be designed, fabricated, installed, inspected, and maintained in accordance with all the requirements of this section and §§ 250.131 and 250.134 through 250.144 of this subpart. Applications submitted pursuant to § 250.131 shall require the approval by the Regional Supervisor prior to platform installation.

(c) All new platforms which meet any of the conditions listed below shall be subject to the Platform Verification Program and shall be designed, fabricated, and installed in accordance with the requirements of §§ 250.131 through 250.144 of this part.

(1) Platforms installed in water depths exceeding 400 feet,

(2) Platforms having natural periods in excess of 3 seconds,

(3) Platforms installed in areas of unstable bottom conditions,

(4) Platforms having configurations and designs which have not previously been used or proven for use in the area, or

(5) Platforms installed in seismically active areas.

(d) Major modification to any platform shall be subject to the requirements of this subpart and shall require the approval of the Regional Supervisor. Major modification means any structural changes which materially alter the approved plan or causes a major deviation from approved operations.

(e)(1) Major repairs of damage to any platform shall require the prior approval of the Regional Supervisor. Major repairs of damage means corrective operations involving structural members affecting the structural integrity of a portion or all of the platform.

(2) Under emergency conditions, repairs to primary structural elements may be made to restore an existing permitted condition without prior approval. The Regional Supervisor shall be notified within 24 hours of the damage that occurred and repairs that were made. The Regional Supervisor's approval for repairs shall be obtained.

(f) The requirements for an application for approval for the reuse or conversion of the use of an existing fixed or mobile platforms shall be determined on a case-by-case basis. An application shall be submitted to the Regional Supervisor for approval and shall include location, intended use, and demonstrate the adequacy of the design and structural condition of the platform.

(g) In addition to the requirements of this subpart, platform design, fabrication, and installation shall conform to API RP 2A, Recommended Practice For Planning, Designing, And Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms, or American Concrete Institute (ACI) 357R, Guide for the Design and Construction of Fixed Offshore Concrete Structures, as appropriate. Alternative codes or rules may be utilized with approval of the Regional Supervisor. The requirements contained in these documents (API RP 2A and ACI 357R) are incorporated herein insofar as

they do not conflict with other provisions of this subpart.

§ 250.131 Application for approval.

(a) All applications under the provisions of this subpart shall be submitted to the Regional Supervisor for approval. All significant changes or modifications to approved applications shall be submitted to the Regional Supervisor for approval.

(b) Applications for all new platforms or major modifications shall be submitted in triplicate and shall contain the following information:

(1) General platform information including the following:

(i) The platform designation, lease number, area name, and block number;

(ii) Longitude and latitude coordinates, Universal Transverse Mercator grid-system coordinates, state plane coordinates in the Lambert or Transverse Mercator Projection system, and a plat drawn to a scale of 1 inch = 2,000 feet showing surface location of the platform and distance from the nearest block lines;

(iii) Drawings, plats, front and side elevations of the entire platform, and plan views that clearly illustrate essential parts, i.e., number and location of well slots, design loadings of each deck, water depth, nominal size and thickness of all primary load-bearing jacket and deck structural members, and nominal size, makeup, thickness, and design penetration of piling;

(iv) Corrosion protection or durability details which consist of the corrosion-protection method; expected life; and durability criteria for the submerged, splash, and atmospheric zones; and

(v) In the Alaska OCS Region, the following additional information shall be submitted:

(A) Slope protection and berm elevation for manmade islands,

(B) Wall thickness with size and placement of major steel reinforcement for concrete-gravity structures,

(C) Shell thickness with size and location of major reinforcement members for steel-gravity structures, and

(D) A plan for periodic inspections of the installed platforms in accordance with § 250.142 of this part.

(2) A summary of environmental data, as addressed in § 250.134 of this part, which has a bearing on the platform's design, installation, and operation, e.g., wave heights and periods, current, vertical distribution of wind and gust velocities, water depth, storm and astronomical tide data, marine growth, snow and ice effects, and air and sea temperatures;

(3) Foundation information including the following:

(i) A geotechnical investigation report containing a brief summary of the major strata encountered at the location by bore holes presented in tabular form, a detailed subsurface profile illustrating results of field and laboratory testing, a listing of field and laboratory investigations and tests with a basic summary of resultant determinations, the identification of properties and conditions of the seabed and the subsoil, and the identification of any manmade hazards or obstructions;

(ii) A description of the effect of the environmental and functional loads on the foundation;

(iii) A determination, with supporting information, of the susceptibility of the area to soil movement and, if susceptible, an analysis of slope and soil stability;

(iv) A summary of the foundation design criteria as specified in § 250.139 of this part; and

(v) A summary of the seafloor survey results specified

§ 250.139(b)(2) of this part.

in

(4) Structural information including the following:

(i) The design life of the platform and the basis for such determination.

(ii) A summary description of the design load conditions and design load combinations, taking into consideration the worst environmental and operational conditions anticipated over the service life of the platform.

(iii) A listing and description of the appropriate material specifications.

(iv) A description of the design methodologies, e.g., elastic, inelastic, and ultimate strength, used in design of the platform.

(v) A summary of pertinent derived factors of safety against failure for major structural members, e.g., unity check ratios exceeding 0.85 for steeljacket platform members, indicated on "line" sketches of jacket sections.

(vi)(A) In the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific OCS Regions, a summary of the fatigue analysis as specified in §§ 250.135 through 250.139 of this part. The specific requirements for a fatigue analysis shall be determined by the Regional Supervisor on a caseby-case basis to determine the adequacy of the design and to assure the structural integrity of the platform.

(B) In the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, a summary of the fatigue analysis as specified in §§ 250.135 through 250.139 of this part. A fatigue analysis shall be performed for each steel template, pile-supported platform with natural periods greater than 3 seconds, and for each platform to be fabricated of high-strength steel (i.e., over 50 thousand pounds per square inch minimum yield) where components of high-strength steel are subjected to cyclic loading. The specific requirements for a fatigue analysis for other platforms shall be determined by the Regional Supervisor on a case-by-case basis to determine adequacy of the design and to assure the structural integrity of the platform.

(c) The information shall be submitted with or subsequent to the submittal of an Exploration Plan or Development and Production Plan. Additional detailed data and information may be required by the Regional Supervisor when needed to determine the adequacy of the design.

(d) The lessee shall have detailed structural plans as called for in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section and specifications for new platforms or other structures and major modifications certified by a registered professional structural engineer or civil engineer specializing in structural design. The lessee shall also sign, date, and submit the following certification: Lessee certifies that the design of the structure/modification has been certified by a registered professional structural or a civil engineer specializing in structural design, and the structure/ modification will be fabricated, in

stalled, and maintained as described in the application and any approved modification thereto. Certified design and as built plans and specifications will be on file at

(e) The lessee shall notify the Regional Supervisor at least 1 week prior to transporting the platform to the installation site.

§ 250.132 Platform Verification Program requirements.

(a) Requirements. These requirements apply to the design, fabrication, and installation of new, fixed, bottomfounded, pile-supported, or concretegravity platforms. The applicability of these requirements to other types of platforms shall be determined by the MMS on a case-by-case basis. For all new platforms or major modifications which meet any of the conditions contained in § 250.130(c) of this part, the lessee shall submit the design, fabrication, and installation verification plans to the Regional Supervisor for approval in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section. The design plan shall be submitted with or subsequent to the submittal of an Exploration Plan or Development and Production Plan. The fabrication and installation plans shall be submitted and approval obtained before such operations are initiated.

(b) Verification plan requirements— (1) General plan requirements. Each verification plan shall be submitted in triplicate and include the following:

(i) A nomination of a Certified Verification Agent (CVA) who shall conduct specified reviews in accordance with § 250.133 of this part,

(ii) The CVA qualification statement consisting of the following:

(A) Previous experience in thirdparty verification or experience in the design, fabrication, and/or installation of offshore oil and gas platforms, manmade islands, or other marine structures;

(B) Technical capabilities of the individual or the primary staff to be associated with the CVA functions for the specific project;

(C) Size and type of organization or corporation;

of,

or

access to, appropriate technology, i.e.,

computer programs and hardware and testing materials and equipment;

(E) Ability to perform the CVA functions for the specific project considering current commitments; and

(F) Previous experience with MMS requirements and procedures.

(iii) The level of work to be performed by the CVA, and

(iv) A list of documents to be furnished to the CVA.

(2) Design verification plan requirements. The design plan shall also include the following:

(i) All design documentation specified in § 250.131(b) of this part, and (ii) Abstracts of the computer programs used in the design process.

(3) Fabrication verification plan requirements. The fabrication plan shall also include fabrication drawings and material specifications for artificial island structures, major members of concrete- and steel-gravity structures, all the primary load-bearing members included in the space-frame analysis for jacket structures, and a summary description of the following:

(i) Structural tolerances, (ii) Welding procedures,

(iii) Material (concrete, gravel, or silt) placement methods,

(iv) Fabrication standards,

(v) Material quality-control procedures,

(vi) Methods and extent of nondestructive examinations (NDE) for welds and materials, and

(vii) Quality assurance procedures. (4) Installation verification plan requirements. Additionally, the installation plan shall include a summary description of the planned marine operations, contingencies considered, alternate courses of action, and the inspections to be performed including a graphical identification of areas to be inspected and the acceptance/rejection criteria.

(c) Requirements for resubmittal. All such plans or the appropriate part affected shall be resubmitted for approval if the CVA is changed, if the CVA's or assigned personnel's qualifications change, or if the level of work to be performed changes. The summary of technical details need not be resubmitted, unless changes are made in the technical details.