PSA Norway Acknowledges Norsafe's E406 Lifeboat

Norsafe Group is pleased to announce that Teekay’s Petrojarl Knarr FPSO, with four Norsafe GES50 MKIII free-fall lifeboats installed, has received PSA Norway’s Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC), and has now arrived the Knarr field in the North Sea. 

An Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) is a statement from the PSA expressing the authorities’ confidence that petroleum activity can be performed by the facility within the regulatory framework.

“It is the PSA’s assessment that petroleum activities may be carried out using the Petrojarl Knarr FPSO facility within the regulatory framework. The decision is based on the information provided in the AoC application concerning the technical condition of the facility and the applicant’s organisation and management system, as well as the authorities’ verifications and other case processing”, says PSA Norway in the statement.

In July 2014, Norsafe received Declaration of Conformity (DoC) from ABS for three freefall lifeboat models (GES45, GES50 MKIII and GES52), verifying their fulfilment of the DNV-OS-E406 standard. The recent statement from PSA confirms that Norsafe’s GES50 MKIII fulfils the latest requirements, and are approved for operation in the North Sea.

“We are the first company to have three complete freefall lifeboat systems that are approved in accordance with the DNV-OS-E406 standards. It has been a time consuming and interesting task over the last years to prepare for the new requirements, and now we see the results”, says Norsafe CEO Geir Skaala.

The DNV-OS-E406 was introduced in 2009, and is the new standard for freefall lifeboats on board fixed platforms/semi’s and FPSO’s on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The main goal of the standard is to prove safe evacuation, which is actualized by specifying the location, installation and the weather conditions in the area. The standard is documented through extensive testing using full scale drops, CFD and model tank testing performed by the most advanced research institutes in Europe. A free fall drop must be analysed in three phases; passenger safety, strength and structural integrity and safe sail away.

FPSO Petrojarl Knarr is to be used on the Knarr field, where BG Norge AS is the operator. The Knarr field is in the North Sea, around 50 kilometers north-east of Snorre. Petrojarl Knarr is classified by DNV GL and sails under the Bahamian flag. It was built by Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea, and then underwent final preparations at the Aibel’s Haugesund yard before sailing away towards the Knarr field.

“It has always been Norsafe’s strength to build lifeboats, rescue boats and davits in accordance to the requirements of the latest standards. In addition to our free fall lifeboats, we have several conventional lifeboats and davits that meets the NORSOK R-002 standards.”, says Mr Skaala.