Independent inspections or audits of deepwater rigs help assure the operator that costly downtime is minimized and, more importantly, the unit ultimately is safe for operations.

Inspections or audits of mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) are common because of the potential costs associated with downtime.
Traditional inspection methods tend to lead to inefficiencies and time lags in delivering crucial details. But operators have their own auditing standards, and these differ greatly, so duplicated effort is common and adds unnecessary costs
A new standard for rig inspection has been designed to manage the related data. The proposed Technical Rig Audit Management System (TRAMS) goes further in advocating cross-industry sharing of information aimed at reducing costs.
The audit process
Traditional MODU auditing requires qualified inspectors to visit the rig, perform an inspection and generate a report. Considerable up-front organization ensures the inspection is complete and captures the data required. Figure 1 shows the audit process developed jointly by Aberdeen Drilling Consultants and Amoco UK (now BP). The process was designed as an ongoing program with through-contract inspections forming an overall part of the verification of the drilling unit. It is in compliance with ISO 10011 Guidelines for Quality Systems Auditing.
Following initial discussions and a preliminary meeting, a team was put together for the drilling unit audit. The team prepared a checklist from a standard system, and this was initiated using the TRAMS system. The inspection was completed in accordance with the planned checklists and audit plan. Any corrective actions would be agreed with the MODU management immediately after the audit and logged on the TRAMS system. These corrective actions then would be monitored and closed out as required. The Audit Process Map covers this procedure in more detail.
Standardized checklists
Perhaps the biggest barrier to sharing of audit information among companies is the lack of a standard checklist system. The TRAMS system recommends a 49-section checklist system. This covers every aspect of a drilling unit, with the first 36 sections covering mechanical items. Section 37 is intended to capture any local legislation requirements, such as the United Kingdom's Design and Construction Regulations, that may be applicable in the country of operation. The section 37 checklist index has been prepared for the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Norway. Sections 40 to 47 addresses high-pressure, high-temperature compliance standards as defined in Institute of Petroleum, Part 17.
The checklists are designed to be compatible with semisubmersible, jackup, platform and land-based drilling units.
Generally, the audit checks can be divided into two categories. Operability checks are designed to ensure the drilling unit will continue to perform as expected throughout the contract term. Often considered discretionary, these are not covered by legislation but are aimed at preventing downtime. Safety-critical checks highlight each area of the rig that may be a danger to life or the environment if defective. For example, most blowout preventer equipment is considered safety-critical and should be checked during the audit, particularly if it is a precharter audit.
Life-cycle audit philosophy
The team that developed the Audit Process Map adopted the philosophy of life-cycle auditing. The basic premise was that the drilling unit would be inspected at the beginning of its life. Prior to contracting with an operator, a precharter audit would be conducted. During the actual contract period, in situ audits would be performed. The audit process developed within the TRAMS system would capture each of these events. Consequently, a complete database covering the drilling unit's life span would be built, allowing preaudit planning to be more effective.
Reporting delays
With traditional auditing methods, a thorough precharter audit can take up to 3 weeks to complete, check and distribute. Given further delays for reading and consultation, the information often would be too old to act upon efficiently. It was clear the timing had to be improved. This led to development of the database system that became TRAMS. The result of 1 year's work, TRAMS is a software-based management system designed initially for rig auditing.
As part of the preaudit planning, the applicable checks are selected from the master checklist and exported to a laptop computer. Once inspection is complete, the audit details are imported from the location, and the master database is updated. This master database will be interrogated during any review of the drilling unit. The system has been further developed to enable use over the World Wide Web.
The development team intends to carry out the process each morning using files sent electronically. This, in conjunction with the Web system, will allow the audit information to be viewed as it progresses. This means vital information regarding the drilling unit can be relayed virtually as it happens, allowing action to be taken immediately.
Audit reporting
One of the biggest advantages to using a database system is the reporting method. TRAMS was set up to allow direct generation of a variety of reports - from management summaries to a complete listing of all checks. This can be done by printing directly from the software or generating a text document file that can be distributed electronically. Using the Web-based system, anyone with Internet access can generate reports.
Improving visualization
One of the important features within TRAMS is its ability to store attachments with an audit file. Several types of attachments are allowed, but the most common are digital pictures and video clips. This has been incorporated to help improve visualization of problem areas. For example, a digital video of the drill floor showing the handling equipment layout can give engineers a better feeling for its ability to handle awkward bottomhole assembly components.
The database also contains specification information on the majority of MODUs operating around the world. This allows drilling engineers and superintendents to compare facts about the rig with audit data, giving a better understanding of its potential.
Information sharing
More and more cross-industry information sharing is being encouraged, aimed mainly at reducing costs. Drilling unit auditing, like other areas of the industry, is rife with duplicated effort. For example, a MODU that has two different contracts within a year can expect at least two audits from each contracting operator. Also, the rig contractors will maintain a full preventative maintenance schedule and probably an internal audit schedule for the unit. None of this information is shared among the parties involved.
The TRAMS system can encourage sharing of such details. Where greater levels of data are available, more informed decisions can be made. This is believed to be of paramount importance just prior to contract commencement. Here, historical details can be reviewed to highlight areas of past deficiencies. Note that this should not be used as a stick to beat the drilling contractor, but as a useful tool to allow concentration of effort in the right areas. For example, where a top drive system has been giving problems for a lengthy period, the contractor, operator and audit team would emphasize that area, giving the best chance of avoiding failure during the contract period.
There can be no doubt that in the long term, greater disclosure and further teamwork will lead to reduced downtime and fewer accidents with drilling units. The group of contractor operators also is expected to cut costs dramatically by allowing cross-industry information sharing, thus eliminating unnecessary inspections.
Information protection
Within the TRAMS system, confidentiality of information is protected by firewalls. The Internet database is a registered secure site and protected using Thawte software to the same levels used for online banks and e-commerce sites.
Each user has a password to enter the system, and the system will restrict the information the user is allowed to view. Passwords are changed regularly
As a data management tool, TRAMS can simplify, hasten and improve the efficiency of rig inspections. It provides the standard that the industry requires in this time of greater information sharing. Also, it can provide the opportunity to unite operators and contractors to minimize costs, an essential ingredient for managing a company.
Acknowledgement
This paper, SPE 57546, "TRAMS - A New Standard for Rig Audit, Inspection, Management and Sharing," was presented at the 1999 SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Nov. 8-10, 1999.