IMCA Outlines Importance of DP Operations Safety

Safe operation of dynamically positioned (DP) vessels is of vital importance to the global offshore oil and gas industry. Ian Giddings, Technical Adviser at the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) recently outlined at the Marine Technology Society (MTS) Dynamic Positioning Conference, how fundamentally important the guidance, information notes, safety notes and incident reports gathered by IMCA are to the industry. For many years IMCA (and its predecessor the DP Vessel Owners Association) has produced the guidance, information notes, safety notes and incident reports about DP based on information gathered from its members and the wider industry. Ian Giddings’ presentation in Houston to an international audience looked at the work already done in the area and, even more importantly, at what is to be done in the future, which includes not only updating existing guidance but also providing new guidance on simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) and Well Specific Operating Guidelines (WSOG) and the review of new position measuring equipment.