An Expert Panel Review of Geotechnical Site Investigation Regulations and Current Industry State of Practice

Abstract

The paper describes a joint industry project (JIP) conducted to provide an independent review of the current Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) regulations and the American Petroleum Institute (API) standards (including their historical development). The main objective of the JIP was to make recommendations for improving industry's state-ofpractice including revising regulations as needed to reflect the best methods for conducting deepwater geotechnical investigations.The study provides a careful review of all regulations applicable to an integrated site investigation required for the foundation design of a permanent floating production system. A panel of experts in offshore geotechnical engineering was assembled to obtain their technical guidance for defining the most appropriate work scope for an offshore geotechnical investigation for a permanently moored production system.The study describes the progress that has been made in site investigation technology (continuous sampling and insitu testing methods) and interpretation of the data since the regulations were initially published. The study also discusses how the current regulations should be interpreted in light of these recent advancements, as applied to the foundation design of suction piles, plate anchors, or driven piles.The expert panel also recommended revising the regulatory text to ensure that best field practices and sound engineering design principles can be employed when designing foundations to be safe and accomplish their intended purpose. The major benefit of the revised regulatory text is avoiding ambiguity between regulators and practicing geotechnical engineers as to what constitutes best practices for conducting a deepwater integrated site investigation.