Safety Requirements and Standards in Relation to Transport of Crude Oil, Products, and Gas

0. Abstract This Paper describes the quality assurance (QA) system developed and used by Statoil (the Norwegian stateowned oil company) in relation to the company's shipping activities. The objective of the QA system is to reduce the risk of accidents and to maintain a high level of performance by increasing the quality of the internal and external shipping activities. Introduction Statoil entered the shipping business as an operator of offshore loading tankers in 1979. Since then the activities have gradually expanded from 2 to 25 tankers by 1991, carrying crude oil, gas and refined products. Time charter parties for another 6 tankers, all new buildings, were signed last year with Norwegian ship owners. As of to day, Statoil is the world's largest offshore loading operator with a fleet of 9 tankers in operation. In addition, Statoil chartered approximately 800 tankers on a single voyage basis in 1990. Being an offshore company, Statoil is governed by an extensive quality assurance and control system QA/QC on all levels of the organization. This relates both to internal and external services. Thus it became natural to introduce a formalised QA/QC system to ensure a high level of safety and quality of the day to day operation of the tankers chartered by Statoil. 2. POLICY AND OBJECTIVES The governing policy of the QA-system is to ensure safe and reliable marine transportation including loading and unloading of crude oil, gas and refined products. This objective can in Statoil's opinion only be met by having a fleet of modern and well maintained tankers with a qualified sea and shore staff. Statoil's philosophy is that the cost of having such requirements pays its value by increased level of safety and performance of all operations. 3. STRUCTURE OF THE QA-SYSTEM 3.1 Time Chartered Vessels The QA-system imposed on the ship owners is in broad terms stating that all operations have to be conducted in an orderly and organized manner based upon specific requirements to the administration and standard of vessels and personnel. The ship owners must within two months after signing the charter party, meet Statoil's requirements by having an operational QA-system implemented. The QA-system should be based on ISO 9001/9002, IMO resolution A647(l6) or other similar and accepted standards. The individual ship owner should not only adopt existing standards, but also adapt them to his own organization. Statoil requires that the QA-system shall be formal, effective and used by all levels of the organization, but does not impose a predefined format of the ship owner's QA-documents. To ensure that the above requirements are met, periodical inspections and audits are carried out both at the owners premises and on board the tankers. premises and on board the tankers. 3.2 Spot Chartered Vessel Statoil's QA-system also includes all spot chartered tonnage in order to avoid sub standard tankers. Before the chartering department can conclude a contract, the tankers have to meet defined quality standards. The same applies to a certain degree for FOB tonnage. P. 839