§ 250.1629 - Additional production and fuel gas system requirements.

§ 250.1629 Additional production and fuel gas system requirements.

(a) General. Lessees shall comply with the following production safety system requirements (some of which are in addition to those contained in § 250.1628 of this part).

(b) Design, installation, and operation of additional production systems, including fuel gas handling safety systems.

(1) Pressure and fired vessels must be designed, fabricated, and code stamped in accordance with the applicable provisions of sections I, IV, and VIII of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (as specified in § 250.198). Pressure and fired vessels must have maintenance inspection, rating, repair, and alteration performed in accordance with the applicable provisions of API Pressure Vessel Inspections Code: In-Service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration, API 510 (except Sections 5.8 and 9.5) (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198).

(i) Pressure safety relief valves shall be designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with applicable provisions of sections I, IV, and VIII of the ANSI/ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (as specified in § 250.198). The safety relief valves shall conform to the valve-sizing and pressure-relieving requirements specified in these documents; however, the safety relief valves shall be set no higher than the maximum-allowable working pressure of the vessel. All safety relief valves and vents shall be piped in such a way as to prevent fluid from striking personnel or ignition sources.

(ii) The lessee shall use pressure recorders to establish the operating pressure ranges of pressure vessels in order to establish the pressure-sensor settings. Pressure-recording charts used to determine operating pressure ranges shall be maintained by the lessee for a period of 2 years at the lessee's field office nearest the OCS facility or at another location conveniently available to the District Manager. The high-pressure sensor shall be set no higher than 15 percent or 5 psi, whichever is greater, above the highest operating pressure of the vessel. This setting shall also be set sufficiently below (15 percent or 5 psi, whichever is greater) the safety relief valve's set pressure to assure that the high-pressure sensor sounds an alarm before the safety relief valve starts relieving. The low-pressure sensor shall sound an alarm no lower than 15 percent or 5 psi, whichever is greater, below the lowest pressure in the operating range.

(2) Engine exhaust. You must equip engine exhausts to comply with the insulation and personnel protection requirements of API RP 14C, section 4.2c(4) (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198). Exhaust piping from diesel engines must be equipped with spark arresters.

(3) Firefighting systems. Firefighting systems must conform to subsection 5.2, Fire Water Systems, of API RP 14G, Recommended Practice for Fire Prevention and Control on Open Type Offshore Production Platforms (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198), and must be subject to the approval of the District Manager. Additional requirements must apply as follows:

(i) A firewater system consisting of rigid pipe with firehose stations shall be installed. The firewater system shall be installed to provide needed protection, especially in areas where fuel handling equipment is located.

(ii) Fuel or power for firewater pump drivers shall be available for at least 30 minutes of run time during platform shut-in time. If necessary, an alternate fuel or power supply shall be installed to provide for this pump-operating time unless an alternate firefighting system has been approved by the District Manager;

(iii) A firefighting system using chemicals may be used in lieu of a water system if the District Manager determines that the use of a chemical system provides equivalent fire-protection control; and

(iv) A diagram of the firefighting system showing the location of all firefighting equipment shall be posted in a prominent place on the facility or structure.

(4) Fire- and gas-detection system.

(i) Fire (flame, heat, or smoke) sensors shall be installed in all enclosed classified areas. Gas sensors shall be installed in all inadequately ventilated, enclosed classified areas. Adequate ventilation is defined as ventilation that is sufficient to prevent accumulation of significant quantities of vapor-air mixture in concentrations over 25 percent of the lower explosive limit. One approved method of providing adequate ventilation is a change of air volume each 5 minutes or 1 cubic foot of air-volume flow per minute per square foot of solid floor area, whichever is greater. Enclosed areas (e.g., buildings, living quarters, or doghouses) are defined as those areas confined on more than four of their six possible sides by walls, floors, or ceilings more restrictive to air flow than grating or fixed open louvers and of sufficient size to allow entry of personnel. A classified area is any area classified Class I, Group D, Division 1 or 2, following the guidelines of API RP 500 (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198), or any area classified Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, or Zone 2, following the guidelines of API RP 505 (as incorporated by reference in § 205.198).

(ii) All detection systems shall be capable of continuous monitoring. Fire-detection systems and portions of combustible gas-detection systems related to the higher gas concentration levels shall be of the manual-reset type. Combustible gas-detection systems related to the lower gas-concentration level may be of the automatic-reset type.

(iii) A fuel-gas odorant or an automatic gas-detection and alarm system is required in enclosed, continuously manned areas of the facility that are provided with fuel gas. Living quarters and doghouses not containing a gas source and not located in a classified area do not require a gas detection system.

(iv) The District Manager may require the installation and maintenance of a gas detector or alarm in any potentially hazardous area.

(v) Fire- and gas-detection systems must be an approved type, designed and installed according to API RP 14C, API RP 14G, and either API RP 14F or API RP 14FZ (the preceding four documents as incorporated by reference in § 250.198).

(c) General platform operations. Safety devices shall not be bypassed or blocked out of service unless they are temporarily out of service for startup, maintenance, or testing procedures. Only the minimum number of safety devices shall be taken out of service. Personnel shall monitor the bypassed or blocked out functions until the safety devices are placed back in service. Any safety device that is temporarily out of service shall be flagged by the person taking such device out of service.