ABS Forms Independent Offshore Technical Committee

ABS continues to cultivate industry expertise for the development and modification of Rules and Guides with the formation of The Offshore Technical Committee of ABS.

“ABS once again has taken the lead in working with the offshore industry,” said ABS President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “The Technical Committee of ABS has advised us for many years. The recent division of the committee into Offshore and Marine allows each group to concentrate more fully on its specific area of interest.”

The goal of the recent division of The Technical Committee of ABS into separate committees was to refine the focus of each committee to facilitate information exchange for Rule and Guide development and modification. ABS is the first class society to take this approach.

The first meeting of the The Offshore Technical Committee, hosted 3-4 May 2012 in Houston, was attended by a majority of the 40 members elected by The Council of ABS. Attendees included designers, builders, owners, operators and regulators of offshore assets.

The agenda for the inaugural meeting included a review of ABS proposed rule changes followed by a discussion on topics of interest raised by the attending industry experts. The advice garnered from the Committee’s discussions will be referred to the Rules Committee of ABS.

“The first meeting of the The Offshore Technical Committee demonstrated that we have made an excellent decision in separating the Marine and Offshore groups,” said Todd Grove, ABS Chief Technology Officer. “The value of the feedback on our Rules clearly demonstrates the focused expertise of our members.”

The Offshore Technical Committee is scheduled to meet on an annual basis as part of the ongoing ABS rule development cycle, but as technical topics surface during the intervening months, ABS will interface with the committee to gather valuable input.

“Our thorough approach to rule making is one of the things that sets ABS apart from other class societies,” Grove said. “Our rigorous process ensures industry has the opportunity to provide ABS with the most comprehensive and thoroughly reviewed proposals to consider for incorporation into the ABS Rules.”