Harsher environments, life extension and more demanding regulatory and business requirements are some of the challenges the offshore industry faces. However, a complete software tool to evaluate the full range of potential hazards and associated risks has until now not been available. Safeti Offshore, released today, is a quantitative risk analysis software solution based on DNV’s more than three decades of experience within such analysis.

Safeti Offshore encapsulates DNV’s vast experience and knowledge within offshore quantitative risk analysis (QRA), contained within one all-encompassing software application to evaluate the full range of potential hazards.

The QRA of offshore installations is a complex process and there are specific challenges resulting from congested layouts and limited separation of equipment. A spectrum of analysis methods exists, ranging from spread-sheets – with inherent validation and traceability problems – through to detailed and expensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations typically addressing specific issues rather than assessing broader risks.

“Safeti Offshore has been designed and developed specifically to support state-of-the-art, complex offshore QRA,” says DNV Software Director of Operations Risk and Reliability, Dr Nic Cavanagh.

“A methodology has been developed by experienced risk analysts to meet the requirements of international standards such as ISO 17776 and Norsok Z-013 and this has been integrated into Safeti Offshore. All credible hydrocarbon accident scenarios are considered, including fire, explosion, toxics and smoke. In addition, detailed escalation analysis is provided to model potential domino effects and evolving safety function impairment,” he says.

Typical offshore QRA risk metrics, such as potential loss of life (PLL), are summarised in a database allowing flexible reporting and charting. An interactive event tree allows navigation and drill-down on the detailed risk results. In addition, a 3D visual representation of the facility allows the key consequence and risk results to be viewed in context. In this way, Safeti Offshore can address key questions such as design layout alternatives, fire and blast protection, escape and evacuation measures and other potential risk reduction measures.

“Safeti Offshore is built upon the same software architecture as DNV Software’s world-leading onshore analysis packages, Phast and Safeti. In this way, we can leverage more than 30 years of mathematical modelling and software engineering expertise to the market with best effect,” says DNV Software Managing Director, Are Føllesdal Tjønn.