Providing Safe,
Secure Cargo
Protection and
Transportation
Standards
American Energy Cargo Container Association
www.aecca.us
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
AECCA, the American Energy
Cargo Container Association
Formed in 2009, a Non-Profit organization
based in Louisiana
• Formed exclusively for the purpose of
developing and disseminating
information relating to the offshore
cargo container industry
• Supporting the Oil and Gas Industry not
only in the Gulf of Mexico and North
America, but Globally as well
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Mission Statement
To foster the development and
use of uniform standards
For the Gulf of Mexico and across
North America which will be globally
recognized as world class
For the design, construction,
certification and maintenance of cargo
carrying unit components specific to
the offshore energy Industry
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Standards and Structures
QUESTION: How do we Secure Safe and Productive
Jobs and Work Environments for the Oil and Gas
Industry Workers not only in the United States, but
Globally as well?
ANSWER: Establish Common Sense Policies, Standards
and Regulations for the Industry that can be utilized on
a worldwide basis.
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
WHY—Is this needed
for the Industry?
Since April of 2010, the Oil and Gas Industry was
impacted due to the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The momentum of the Industry was stalled.
• Requires a re-examination at all of the policies and
procedures we operate under.
• Solidified the need to ensure that employees have a
safe and healthy environment in which to work.
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
WHERE—Must this be done
The conclusions are clear: the Industry must
• Undergo a re-write of specifications, standards,
regulations and over-seeing responsibilities
• Eliminate unnecessary expenses and lost time
• Re-focus its efforts while providing a safe,
productive and profitable contribution to the
economy and for the companies within the Industry
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
WHEN—Should Action be taken?
All segments of the Industry are affected
• The Industry segments should take a pro-active and
real-time stance to address and take action on issues
• For the benefit of not only the suppliers, peers and
customers within their own specific segment, but
also across all segments that they interface with
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
WHO—One of the Segments Responding
Through AECCA , many firms that design, fabricate,
inspect, certify and maintain cargo carrying units (CCU)
• Combined their efforts to put together a study and
overview of ’below the hook’ design and lifting
guidelines and standards
• Covers the existing guidelines and practical needs
across many of the Operators and Service Providers
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
WHAT—Are the Results of this Study?
The Results of the Study and Efforts
AECCA’s comprehensive guidelines and standards are
contained within the document
AECCA 2012.1—Offshore Cargo Container Design,
Manufacturing & Inspection—available at
www.aecca.us
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
How—Is this Standard Beneficial to the
Industry?
Specified to Meet Global Requirements
• Initially developed for Gulf of Mexico and North
America, to be expanded for global environments
• Criteria to achieve the highest safety levels for
secure handling of cargo for offshore energy
• The AECCA standard should be recognized as world
class with a Full and Open set of specifications
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
How—Is this Standard Beneficial to the
Industry?
This Set of Standards provides
• Uniform guidelines for ‘below the hook’ lifting
• Engineered designs and fabrication parameters
established by Professional Engineers
• Consistent criteria for construction, testing, safety
and maintenance for the CCUs and rigging
• A complementary / supplementary guideline to
existing standards already in place and used
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Key Specification Parameters
These are achieved through cooperative efforts that:
• Are available to all Operators, Service Providers and
CCU producers to co-exist with existing practices
• Keep to design and safety standards established by
Professional Engineers
• Are self-monitored by the CCU producers and
Industry test firms with supporting documentation
provided to all users
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Key Considerations of Results
Results of AECCA Standard Utilization
• Enables the resulting guidelines and standards to be
utilized across a wide range of global environments
• Addresses SEMS requirements for mechanical
integrity
• Offers an alternative to a monopolistic situation that
could be for the business benefit of one
development standard or certification body
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Deliverables and
Non-Deliverables
The AECCA Standard
IS AN OPEN STANDARD for testing and support provided by
industry certified firms with no financially vested interest in
the marketing of the standard or certifications
IS NOT A STANDARD THAT RESTRICTS testing, inspections or
certification of the standard to 3rd party firms for the
business benefit of any one development standard or
certification body.
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Deliverables and
Non-Deliverables
The AECCA Standard
DOES Require Design and Certification Documentation by a
Professional Design and Structural Engineer with
demonstrated CCU experience
DOES NOT Impose an un-necessary review by 3rd party
firms, shown to result in higher design expenses and design
approval delays, impacting costs and delivery schedules
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Deliverables and
Non-Deliverables
The AECCA Standard
DOES REQUIRE FULL LOAD TESTING OF EVERY CCU by
testing firms with proven capabilities, ensuring Safe, Secure
Cargo Transportation and Human Protection for all units
DOES NOT LOAD TEST ONLY A SINGLE UNIT within a batch
build, potentially compromising the safe use of the units
with no Load Testing or impose un-necessary inspections by
3rd party firms, which could result in further delay and cost
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Deliverables and
Non-Deliverables
The AECCA Standard
IS GLOBAL BY DESIGN to meet or exceed the needs of most
global user environments with cost effective materials that
are readily available to safely support specified load and
lifting requirements and capacities
IS NOT DEFINED BY NARROW ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS
requiring over designed configurations for much of the
world that restrict size and material choices which could
result in inflated fabrication costs and schedule delays
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
Where Do We Go From Here
AECCA Continuing and Future Efforts
•
Support the adaptation of a Cargo Container Lifting
Standard that will best serve the Industry
•
Continue to identify and address common issues to the
market, potentially;
•
Wire Rope and other Rigging component manufacturing
and testing standards for CCU applications
•
Safe handling Issues of Cargo Containers to/from
Offshore Facilities and Transport Vessels
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
An Announcement
AECCA and API
• API has recognized the need for a Cargo Container Lifting
Standard
• The creation of this new API document has been proposed
and approved by the API Drilling and Production Operations
Subcommittee, using the AECCA standard as the core
• Firms that have an interest in participating should contact Ms
Holly Hopkins from API at hopkinsh@api.org
• Mr. Everett Tellez, ExxonMobil has agreed to be the chairman
Providing Safe, Secure Cargo Protection and Transportation Standards
In Closing
We would like to thank IADC for the opportunity
provided to AECCA for this presentation
If any company has an interest in being part of the
AECCA efforts or of being informed of our continuing
progress, please contact us through our website at
www.aecca.us