Structure and Research Drive DNV Safety Regulations

Originally founded in 1864 to inspect and evaluate the condition of Norwegian merchant vessels, Det Norske Veritas has grown into an international, independent foundation with about 300 offices in 100 different countries.

Each office is dedicated to the foundation's objective to safeguard life, property and the environment through identification, assessment and advising on how to manage risk. Through its 8,000 employees from more than 85 different nations, the company brings an international awareness to risk management along with creativity, knowledge and expertise.

As a leader in risk management for a variety of industries, DNV understands that the point of managing risk may not always be to eliminate risk. The point is to discover the most critical risks and manage those, which in turn may eliminate other risks.

While DNV provides services to nearly every industry, the foundation applies its technology understanding especially in the oil, gas and energy industry, particularly in the offshore realm. DNV recognizes that regulatory authorities are shifting from traditional prescriptive regimes to goal-setting regimes with functional requirements where safety must be demonstrated based on risk considerations. With this shift in regulations, DNV provides a transparent and independent approach to verification, certification, quality surveillance and marine operations to help reduce and manage risks.

DNV uses a Risk-Based Verification (RBV) method. RBV is structured and systematic, using risk and cost-benefit analysis to create a balance between battling technical and operational issues, safety and costs. This ensures that the focus remains on the most high-risk elements, reducing subjectivity in verifications. The method is meticulously documented and completely transparent.

While DNV provides verification for the oil and gas industry in general, the company offers more detailed verification specifications for specific areas such as structures, pipelines and topside equipment.

Safety concerns remain high though out the exploration and production life of Mobile Offshore Units. These vessels are regulated by shelf state authorities based on local regulations, along with the flag state authorities based on requirements from the International Maritime Organization. DNV will establish safety standards through the process of design to fabrication and construction, from installation to production.

DNV also offers an important advantage through its investment in extensive research and developments in safety. In 1954, DNV established a research department to enhance and develop services, rules and industry standards in nearly every industry. Through this department, DNV recently released Corr MD, an integrated data management tool to monitor both onshore and offshore pipeline systems to protect against corrosion. Research indicated that pipeline operators lose nearly $7 billion every year due to corrosion. Corr MD manages information from a variety of corrosion monitoring and test results. Customized software options ensure that customers' precise monitoring needs are met.

DNV consistently works to develop products and services to meet the needs of the high-risk oil and gas industry.

More can be learned about DNV and these developments at OTC 2008 booth 5129.

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