Bureau Veritas extends Russian partnerships

Bureau Veritas and the Russian Register are working together to provide basic design review for the Shtokman FPU for the two tenderer groups: SAIPEM, SAMSUNG and SOFEC (SSS) and AKER, TECHNIP and SBM (ATS). The process has called for a comparison between BV and RS rules, design review and documentation review, and performance of thermal, linear and non-linear hydrodynamic and structural calculations with VeriSTAR Hull. 

BV's Offshore Rules have been translated into Russian and co-operation agreements have been reached with the Russian Register and the University of St Petersburg. 

"The challenges of extracting oil and gas from the tough environments of the high Arctic have led to close co-operation between Bureau Veritas and the Russian Register, and close links between Bureau Veritas and the University of St Petersburg," explains Bernard Anne, managing director of BV's marine division. "There is huge potential in the exploitation of oil and gas fields in the high Arctic, and we are working with the main offshore operators and our Russian partners to ensure the natural resources can be harvested to benefit Russia and that it is done safely and cleanly." 

BV has also provided services to the Shtokman and other Russian projects including Independent verification body services to provide assurance of design integrity at the FEED stage of disconnectable floating production platforms, the offshore trunk pipeline and subsea production systems. 

Bureau Veritas and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping are working under a three-year co-operation agreement covering the development of joint guidelines for LNG carriers and Offshore Floating Production Units (FPUs). 

"We can combine the particular strengths of the BV and RS rules, to produce definitive guidelines which draw on the experience and expertise of both organisations," adds Anne.