NORSOK STANDARD

SUBSEA PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

This NORSOK standard is developed by NTS with broad industry participation. Please note that
whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this standard, neither OLF nor TBL or
any of their members will assume liability for any use thereof. NTS is responsible for the
administration and publication of this standard.
Norwegian Technology Standards Institution
Oscarsgt. 20, Postbox 7072 Majorstua
N-0306 Oslo, NORWAY
Telephone: + 47 22 59 67 00 Fax: + 47 22 59 67 29
Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.nts.no/norsok
Copyrights reserved

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

CONTENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION

2
2

1 SCOPE

2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES

3 DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.1 Definitions
3.2 Abbreviations

4
4
4

4 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
4.1 General design requirements
4.2 Procedures/limitations for the operations
4.3 Requirements relating to barriers
4.4 Wellheads and X-mas trees
4.5 Subsea production control systems
4.6 Dropped objects and trawlgear protection
4.7 Requirements to instrumentation, valve position indicators and valve overrides

6
6
6
7
8
8
8
8

NORSOK standard

Page 1 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

FOREWORD
NORSOK (The competitive standing of the Norwegian offshore sector) is the industry initiative to
add value, reduce cost and lead time and eliminate unnecessary activities in offshore field
developments and operations.
The NORSOK standards are developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry as a part of the
NORSOK initiative and supported by OLF (The Norwegian Oil Industry Association) and TBL
(Federation of Norwegian Engineering Industries). NORSOK standards are administered and issued
by NTS (Norwegian Technology Standards Institution).
The purpose of NORSOK standards is to contribute to meet the NORSOK goals, e.g. by replacing
individual oil company specifications and other industry guidelines and documents for use in
existing and future petroleum industry developments.
The NORSOK standards make extensive references to international standards. Where relevant, the
contents of a NORSOK standard will be used to provide input to the international standardisation
process. Subject to implementation into international standards, the NORSOK standard will be
withdrawn.

INTRODUCTION
Input from the Norwegian Deepwater Programme and NDPs guidelines are included in this
revision 2 of NORSOK standard U-001, which replace revision 1 of U-DP-001. This revision has
been substantially reduced in text due to the development of new ISO standards for the subsea area.
For the same reasons, NORSOK standards U-CR-003 Subsea christmas tree systems, U-CR-005
Subsea production control systems and U-CR-008 Subsea colour and marking, have been
withdrawn and references made to the new ISO standards being developed.
The NORSOK standards provide specific national requirements. The standards are supplements to
international standards. Therefore, this standard shall be used in conjunction with current revision of
ISO 13628-1 and the other parts as referenced in clause 2 herein.
The ISO standards are at different levels of completion. It is considered that ISO standards at DIS or
FDIS stages are sufficiently mature to be used as references in this NORSOK standard.

NORSOK standard

Page 2 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

SCOPE

This NORSOK standard covers all phases of a project and sets the overall design requirements for
underwater production systems and the interfaces between the subsea system and the surrounding
systems. More detailed requirements are formulated in relevant subsystem standards.
This standard also sets requirements for verification of system performance either by analysis or by
testing. The type/extent of verification will be dependent on the content of new and unproven
technology in the system.

NORMATIVE REFERENCES

The following standards include provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute
provisions of this NORSOK standard. Latest issue of the references shall be used unless otherwise
agreed. (Note 1). Other recognised standards may be used provided it can be shown that they meet
or exceed the requirements of the standards referenced below.
API RP 17C
API RP 17G
API RP 17I
ISO 10420
ISO 10423
ISO 13628-1

TFL systems (replace with ISO 13628-3 when issued at DIS/FDIS level)
Design and Operation of Completion/Workover Riser System (replace with
ISO 13628-7 when issued at DIS/FDIS level)
Installation of Subsea Umbilicals

ISO 13628-2
ISO 13628-4
ISO 13 628-6
ISO 13 628-9

Flexible pipe systems for subsea and marine riser application

Specification for valves, wellhead and x-mas tree equipment
Design and operation of subsea production systems. General requirements
and recommendations. (Note 2)
Flexible Pipe (Note 2)
Subsea Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment (Note 2)
Subsea Production Controls (Note 2)
ROT Intervention Systems (Note 2)

NORSOK I-CR-002
NORSOK M-001
NORSOK M-501
NORSOK M-503
NORSOK O-CR-001
NORSOK O-CR-002
NORSOK U-002
NORSOK U-006
NORSOK U-007
NORSOK Z-001
NORSOK Z-DP-002

Safety and automation systems

Material Selection
Surface Preparation and Protective Coating
Cathodic Protection
Life Cycle Cost for systems and equipment
Life Cycle Cost for production facilities
Subsea Structures and Piping Systems
Subsea Production Control Umbilical
Subsea Intervention System
Documentation for operation.
Coding system.

Note1: Order of precedence is NORSOK, ISO and API standards.

NORSOK standard

Page 3 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

Note 2: Use latest issue (presently at DIS or FDIS level).

DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.1
Shall

Definitions
Verbal form used to indicate requirements strictly to be followed in order to conform to
the standard and from which no deviation is permitted, unless accepted by all involved
parties.
Should
Verbal form used to indicate that among several possibilities one is recommended as
particularly suitable, without mentioning or excluding others, or that a certain course of
action is preferred but not necessarily required.
3.2
Abbreviations
AMV
Annulus Master Valve
ASV
Annulus Swab Valve
AWV
Annulus Wing Valve
CIV
Corrosion Inhibitor Injection Valve
CT
Coiled Tubing
DCI
Downhole control and instrumentation
DP
Dynamic positioning
MIV
Methanol Injection Valve
PCV
Production Choke Valve
PGB
Permanent Guide base
PICT
Pull In and Connection Tool
PMV
Production Master Valve
PSV
Production Swab Valve
PXT
Pressure and temperature sensors
PWV
Production Wing Valve
SIV
Scale Inhibitor Injection Valve
STT
Surface Test Tree
SCSSV
Surface Controlled Subsurface Safety Valves
TH
Tubing Hanger
XOV
Crossover Valve

TYPICAL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

The subsea system is divided into typical subsystems as shown in fig. 1. The main subsystems are:

Wellhead, tubing hanger, X-mas tree with choke, PGB, completion workover riser, workover
control system.

Production Control System: typically include subsea control module electronics and hydraulics,
subsea electrical/hydraulic and chemical injection distribution system, tree instrumentation,
misc. tools, and master control-, power/comms- and hydraulic power units on surface.

NORSOK standard

Page 4 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

Umbilical: electrical, hydraulic and chemical lines including terminations.

Intervention system: typically include tools for pull in and connection of sealines/umbilicals,
tools for running of choke, control pod, pig launcher etc., surface control container, umbilical
winch, lift wire winch, heave compensation equipment etc.

Subsea structures and piping systems: template and satellite structures, manifold and riser base
structures, protection structures, piping modules.

Subsea flowlines: any risers, hard pipes, flexible lines, rigid risers, dynamic risers.

Subsea processing: metering, boosting, separation, water injection etc.

NORSOK
System - Subsystem Architecture
TOPSIDE

INTERVENTION

Process
Control
Power
Hydraulic
Chemicals
Riser Hang-off

SUBSEA

Operation/Controls for:

DRILLING/COMPLETION
Drilling & cutting disposal
Workover Control
Workover Riser System

ROV
ROT

Riser
Prod. Control
Umbilical
Protective Structure
Flowline
(Template/Guide base)
Manifold
Subsea Metering
Choke
X-mas Tree
Subsea process and boosting equipment

DOWNHOLE

Intervention
(ROV/ROT/
TOOLS)
Cutting disposal
system
Wellhead

Downhole Safety Valve

Casing
Prod. string
Gas lift/Injection
ESP
Downhole PXT sensors
DCI

Fig 1 - Typical subsea production system block diagram

NORSOK standard

Page 5 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

5.1
General design requirements
a) The subsea production system and equipment, shall comply with ISO 13628 (several parts) and
the other standards given in clause 2 Normative references, and meet the safety level agreed
between the interested parties and be optimised with respect to life cycle cost.
b) Subsea systems should be designed for diverless installation and intervention. Diving
operations shall not be planned in water depths exceeding 180 m.
c)

All equipment shall be designed and tested where practicable for the actual operational
conditions during field life. The system shall be compatible with all produced and injected
fluids, as well as hydraulic fluids.

d) All pressure containing equipment shall be rated to the highest system operating pressure.
System operating pressure includes normal production operation, workover operations and
barrier testing.
e)

Hydrostatic pressure shall be considered in the design of components under all operational
conditions (e.g. blowdown).

f)

The system shall be designed such that any operation can be terminated leaving the well(s) in a
safe state when predefined operational limits are exceeded.

g) The sub system design work should include the definition of all interfaces between subsystems,
typically listed in clause 4.
h) The system shall be designed for easy fault diagnosis without system retrieval.
i)

A high system availability should be obtained through use of simple designs and high quality
products (suppliers standard equipment with an in field performance record). Use of redundant
designs should only be selected after a cost/benefit analysis.

j)

Operational reliability shall be documented for the subsea systems.

k) For non critical temporary equipment relaxed requirements may be accepted.

l)

Intervention interfaces shall be defined according to the standards referenced in clause 2.

m) Connectors with critical functions shall have an arrangement preventing unintentional release
for predetermined design conditions.
5.2
Procedures/limitations for the operations
The subsea system design work should include the definition of procedures/limitations for major
operational modes, including installation and abandonment.
NORSOK standard

Page 6 of 8

Subsea production systems

a)

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

Well completion/testing/killing/intervention/workover. This mode of operation may include

simultaneous operations, e.g. one well is controlled from the rig while adjacent wells are
producing and are controlled from the process facilities.
Equipment operational limitations, during installation and retrieval shall be defined. Safety with
respect to running offset well location to be assessed.

b) Pull in and connection of flowlines/umbilicals. This operation can be performed:

as an independent operation from typical installation vessels before the wells are completed
after the well is completed
from the drilling unit simultaneous with drilling/completion operations.
c)

Normal production. This mode will include regular remote pressure testing of subsea barriers
and routine inspection and maintenance by ROV, and well rate testing. Pipelines may be
inspected by instrument pigs or other methods. Pipeline system ID, bends and transitions shall
accommodate this requirement.

d) Repair of subsea equipment. Repair is normally done by replacement of components (e.g.

valves, inserts) or by replacement of bigger modules carried out by dedicated remoted operated
tools. The subsea production system design should consider to enable replacement of
equipment while main parts of the system are in operation.
5.3

Requirements relating to barriers

During production activities at least two independent and tested barriers shall be normally available
between reservoir and environment in order to prevent an unintentional flow from the well. The
barriers shall be designed for rapid reestablishment of a lost barrier. The position status of the
barriers shall be known at all times.
One barrier may be acceptable in the case where the reservoir can not produce to the environment
without pressure boosting.
During normal production the X-mas tree, as a complete unit is defined as one of the two barriers.
The other barrier is normally the downhole safety valve.
When a workover vessel has assumed well control via the workover control system, the normal
production control system shall be disabled. It shall be possible to initiate shutdown of the
neighbouring wells from the intervention vessel.
All hydraulic penetrations through the wellhead connection shall fulfil the barrier requirement, and
shall normally be equipped with isolation valves.
Connection and disconnection of a tree from a pressurised manifold may be performed with one
single isolation valve if its pressure containing integrity has been tested. The same would apply
when connecting and disconnecting a pig launcher to a pipeline hub.

NORSOK standard

Page 7 of 8

Subsea production systems

U-001
Rev. 2, June 1998

5.4
Wellheads and X-mas trees
Subsea wellheads and X-mas trees shall meet the requirements of ISO 13628-4 (currently at FDIS
stage).
5.5
Subsea production control systems
Subsea production control systems shall meet the requirements of ISO 13628-6 (currently at DIS
stage).
5.6
Dropped objects and trawlgear protection
Any special dropped object protection should be evaluated on the basis of probability of drop/hit
combined with the hazardous consequence of hit.
In areas with fishing activity two options exist:
Establishment of a restricted zone (no bottom gear fishing is allowed in the area). This will
require trawl resistant structures and/or continuous surveillance .
If the establishment of a restricted zone is not allowed, the use of overtrawlable structures are
required.
Different requirement may apply for deep water.
5.7
Requirements to instrumentation, valve position indicators and valve overrides
The subsea production system shall be equipped with pressure monitoring at points necessary for a
satisfactory functioning of the system, and for pressure testing of the barrier valves. The need for
temperature monitoring and leak detection systems shall be considered in each individual case.
All valves (hydraulic or mechanical) that are required to pass plugs, tools or pigs through, and
where damage may occur if the valve is not fully open, shall have mechanical position indication of
fully open and closed position.
All ROV operated valves shall have visual position indication.
All valves in the vertical bores subject to wireline and coiled tubing operations shall be equipped
with and independent override, except for equipment run inside the marine riser.

NORSOK standard

Page 8 of 8