Winterization of Drilling Systems and Equipment in the Cold Climate Conditions

Oil and gas offshore exploration drilling and production facilities in cold climate and Arctic environmental conditions need various design considerations and operational preparation for intended operations. Offshore winterization of drilling systems and equipment is considered to be one of the essential aspects for ensuring that a facility is capable of and suitably prepared for operations in cold climates. When a facility is in the operational mode at cold temperature for the intended operating site, the drilling systems and equipment essential for safety and commercial operation must remain functioning, and have to be adequately protected to minimize risk of hazards against icing, freezing, dropped objects and material properties. Winterization issues on the drilling systems and equipment are investigated based on system by system review. Risk based methodology and risk reducing hierarchy for winterization consideration are focused on potential hazards to system, equipment and operations in cold climate conditions. The objective of the paper is to identify winterization needs, design considerations and proper safeguards for drilling systems and equipment, considered to be important to safety of the facility, personnel and environment.