Overview
API RP 14C, published by the American Petroleum Institute, specifies the requirements for the analysis, design, installation and testing of surface safety systems for offshore production platforms. While the document is a "recommended practice", adherence to its recommendations in U.S. waters is mandated by regulatory requirements.
In short, API RP 14C specifies the minimum safety devices to be installed to protect personnel, the environment, and the production facility from threats to safety caused by the production process. As stated in Paragraph 3.2 of API RP 14C, "The release of hydrocarbons is a factor in almost all threats to safety. Thus, the major objective of the safety system should be to prevent the release of hydrocarbons from the process and to minimize the adverse effects of such releases if they occur."
The basic premise prescribed by API RP 14C is that the safety system should provide two levels of protection to prevent or minimize the impact of piping or equipment failure that can result in the release of hydrocarbons from the process. The two levels of protection should be independent of and supplemental to devices used for normal process operation, and should be provided by functionally different types of safety devices.
Section 4.2 of API RP 14C lists several undesirable events that can occur in the process, along with potential causes, effects, detectable abnormal conditions and devices typically used to provide primary and secondary protection against the occurrence and escalation of the event. Expanding on the concepts listed in Section 4.2, Appendix A of the document presents a complete safety analysis of each basic process component normally used in an offshore platform production system. For each basic process component (i.e. flow line, pressure vessel, pump, etc), a list of the required safety devices is provided. This list of required safety devices initially considers each component separate from the rest of the process. The Safety Analysis Checklist (SAC) for individual components is then used to justify elimination of safety devices where protection is afforded by virtue of the service conditions or by other redundant devices either upstream or downstream in the process.
In this course, the student will review API RP 14C Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation, and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production Platforms. Note that the API RP 14C document is not provided as part of the purchase price for this course. It must be obtained separately by the student. You may purchase a copy of the document using the link provided below:
Alternately, you may be able to borrow a copy from your employer or one of your colleagues. Most companies working in the oil & gas sector have at least one copy of API RP 14C in their reference library. Note that the quiz was developed based on the Seventh Edition of API RP 14C (March, 2001). However, the quiz material is backwards compatible to all previous revisions.
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of thirty (30) questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Recommended safety device symbols and equipment identification tags for offshore production platforms
- The major objective and premises for the basic analysis and design of an offshore production platform safety system
- Emergency support systems (ESS) used to minimize the effects of escaped hydrocarbons on offshore production platforms, including ESD, fire detection systems, combustible gas detection systems, and containment systems
- Undesirable events that can occur in process components, as well as the causes, effects, detectable abnormal conditions, and protection methods associated with each event
- The methodology used to perform a safety analysis, including Safety Analysis Tables (SAT), Safety Analysis Checklists (SAC) and Safety Analysis Function Evaluation (SAFE) Charts.
- Complete safety analysis of each basic process component normally used on an offshore production platform, including wellheads, flow lines, pressure vessels, pumps, heat exchangers, compressors, and pipelines.
- Performance testing and reporting procedures for safety devices
- Hydrogen sulfide gas detection system design criteria
Course
Click on the following link to purchase API RP 14C (Seventh Edition). Alternately, you may have access to a copy of the document through your employer's reference library. Note that the API RP 14C document is not provided as part of the purchase price for this course. It must be obtained separately by the student. The course quiz is based on the Seventh Edition of API RP 14C, but is backwards compatible to all previous revisions of the document.
To receive PDH credit for this course, you must pass a multiple-choice quiz. Click the button below to Purchase Course and Take Quiz. To take the quiz, your computer must be set to accept cookies. See how to check your cookie settings.
