Sub-sea 7 first to sign up for Hydratight subsea training

Hydratight, the market leading joint integrity company has announced that it has agreement to provide Sub-sea 7 with specialist training for the “Assembly and Tightening of Subsea Bolted Connections”. The first phase of this training will be delivered to some 60 engineers, followed by a structured roll out to support and operational staff.

Joint integrity has been a key subject for Oil and Gas UK and in 2002 the organisation issued guidelines for the reduction of hydrocarbon releases through leaking bolted flanged joints, targeted at topside operations.

This year, the original work was revisited, resulting in the publication of the new “Guidelines for the Management of the Integrity of Bolted Joints for Pressurised Systems”. Launched in June the revised document targets not only offshore facilities, but also onshore COMAH sites.

Subsea joint integrity and focused training in the safe use of hydraulic tightening tools has until now received relatively little focus. As members of the Oil and Gas UK working groups, which compiled both documents, Hydratight is well qualified to provide guidance in extending this best practice to Subsea applications.

Hydratight has therefore developed a comprehensive training programme to acquaint divers and sub-sea engineers with the key elements within the Guidelines for the Management and Integrity of Bolted Pipe Joints.

Sub-sea 7 recognised the significant benefits that have been achieved offshore topside through the implementation of the guidelines and working practices and have instructed Hydratight to deliver the training course at one of their sites in Aberdeen.

To further support this programme, Hydratight will provide a specialist Integrity Engineer to support the training programme. The Integrity Engineer will subsequently be embedded full time within Sub-sea 7 operational facility. Thus providing a vital link in the process of achieving course objectives that are to establish a broader knowledge and awareness of bolted flange theory together with higher levels of competence in safety, operation and maintenance issues of sub-sea bolt tightening equipment amongst divers and sub sea engineers.

Hydratight Global Training facilities continue to expand, with a major refit of its Aberdeen Dyce facility to encompass the latest range of e.learning /computer based training (CBT) products and delivery of ECITB/API Accredited Training Courses, and assessment programmes.

To further support this initiative a key alliance with Aberdeen Hyperbaric Unit to deliver and familiarise divers with the safe use of joint integrity equipment within their working environment has been agreed.