Refurbishment and re-use of subsea capital spares

The overall aim of this joint industry project (JIP) is to establish a common approach for refurbishment of subsea capital spares with the intention to re-use in the equipment. The JIP intends to develop a guideline which will describe a common process of refurbishment and documentation in compliance with NORSOK U-009.

Industry need

The subsea infrastructure on the Norwegian Continental Shelf is aging, with many fields and equipment nearing the end of their operational and design lifetimes. This equipment may be regarded as capital spares, either for deployment in existing fields or other purposes.

Today, the subsea industry is currently undertaking a range of overhaul projects involving aging Christmas Trees (XTs) and other related subsea equipment. However, a standardized approach to manage all aspects of such projects, is recognized as a need in the industry, which can also improve the transparency, cost and timeline for such projects.

Therefore, it is essential to develop and adopt a unified and logical process framework to ensure best practices when preparing for reuse of subsea capital spares. In addition, more frequent reuse of existing equipment environmentally beneficial by reducing the need for new fabrication. 

Scope proposal 

In this joint industry project, the objective is to define an efficient process for refurbishment of subsea capital spares. The following activities are foreseen:

• Mapping of governing standards and regulations
• Case presentation – representative subsea equipment for refurbishment 
• Prepare a milestone-based guideline for an efficient refurbishment process of capital spares, ref. appendix A:
  • Data-gathering - status of the equipment 
  • Identify alternatives (new equipment) and critical timeline
  • Define process requirements to complement with NORSOK U-009 Life extension of subsea equipment 
  • Create a flowchart to guide the process through a risk-based approach to develop a level of refurbishment
  • Prepare an overview of risk mitigating options
• Life extension of installed equipment: 
  • Prepare documentation requirements for a life extension process
  • How to evaluate need for a gap analysis/evaluation
  • Prepare a guidance on how to incorporate findings from representative onshore inspections of equipment to support life extension of installed systems.
• Re-purposing and preparing equipment for handling CO₂ (optional activity).

Schedule 

The Subsea Re-Use JIP will be carried out over a period of one year. An introductory and invitation meeting will be held 9 December 2025. The kick-off is scheduled for the beginning of 2026, pending funding and confirmation of participants.

Deliverables

A JIP report including a guideline for refurbishment of subsea capital spares will be developed.
 
It is intended that a synthesis of the JIP report will be made publicly available, such as the mapping of regulations and standards, whereas some results will only be made available to JIP participants, such as the generic risk register and risk mitigating options. 

Participants

We aim for a balanced group of companies within the operator and contractor sectors. Relevant public agencies and authorities may be invited to participate as observers.

DNV will be responsible for managing the project. 

Fee structure

The estimated budget for the JIP is 6 MNOK, with anticipated funding from 8-10 participants. The fee structure is outlined below:

• Operators: 650 000 NOK 
• Contractors: 550 000 NOK
• Public agencies and authorities: Free. 

Project governance structure

All participants who provide funding will be allowed one representative on the steering committee. The steering committee will meet quarterly, or in conjunction with workshops.

Expression of interest

An information meeting to present the JIP proposal will be held on Teams 9 December. After the information meeting, participants will be asked to confirm their interest in joining the JIP. Those who confirm their interest will receive the JIP Agreement.