Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
Significant Discovery
Definition(s)
Significant Discovery
“Significant discovery” means a discovery indicated by the first well on a geological feature that demonstrates by flow testing the existence of hydrocarbons in that feature and, having regard to geological and engineering factors, suggests the existence of an accumulation of hydrocarbons that has potential for sustained production; découverte importante. Source: Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, S.C. 1988, c. 28, Canada, current to May 26, 2013. Legislation Source: Canada Petroleum Resources Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 36 (2nd Supp.), current to April 29, 2013. LegislationSignificant Discovery Area
Definition(s)
Significant Discovery Area
“Significant discovery area” means, in relation to a declaration of significant discovery made pursuant to subsection 74(1) or (2), those portions of the offshore area described in the declaration; périmètre de découverte importante. Source: Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, S.C. 1988, c. 28, Canada, current to May 26, 2013. LegislationSignificant Discovery Area
“Significant discovery area” means, in relation to a declaration of significant discovery made pursuant to subsection 28(1) or (2), those frontier lands described in the declaration. périmètre de découverte importante. Source: Canada Petroleum Resources Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 36 (2nd Supp.), current to April 29, 2013. LegislationSignificant Event
Definition(s)
Significant event
Significant event includes the following:- a change in the understanding of the characteristics of the geology or reservoir that may have a significant impact on the optimum recovery of petroleum;
- a new or increased risk to the recovery of petroleum within the licence area;
- a new or increased risk to the recovery of petroleum outside the licence area caused by the development of pools in the licence area;
- a new or increased risk of activities in the licence area causing effects outside the licence area (for example aquifer depletion caused by hydrocarbon extraction);
- change to the proposed option for development of pools in the licence area, including any tie-in opportunity with nearby licence areas.
Significant Hazard
Definition(s)
Significant Hazard
“Significant hazard” means a hazard that is an actual or potential cause or source of: • Serious harm; or • Harm (being more than trivial) where the severity of effects on any person depend (entirely or among other things) on the extent or frequency of the person’s exposure to the hazard; or • Harm that does not usually occur, or usually is not easily detectable, until a significant time after exposure to the hazard. Source: Approved Code of Practice for Managing Hazards to Prevent Major Industrial Accidents, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Department of Labour, New Zealand, July 1994. Regulatory GuidanceSignificant Hazard
Significant hazard means a hazard that is an actual or potential cause or source of— (a) serious harm; or (b) harm (being harm that is more than trivial) the severity of whose effects on any person depend (entirely or among other things) on the extent or frequency of the person’s exposure to the hazard; or (c) harm that does not usually occur, or usually is not easily detectable, until a significant time after exposure to the hazard. Source: Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Public Act 1992 No 96, New Zealand, as of 1 July 2011. LegislationSignificant Hydrocarbon Release
Definition(s)
Significant Hydrocarbon Release
A Significant Hydrocarbon Release is defined as: • A gas release rate between 0.1 kg/sec and 1 kg/sec and lasts for 2 to 5 minutes • The amount of gas released is between 1 kg and 300 kg or • The amount of liquid released is between 5 L and 300 L. Source: Incident Reporting and Investigation Guidelines, The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, Canada, November 30, 2012. Regulatory GuidanceSignificant Injury/illness
Definition(s)
Significant injury/illness
A work-related case involving any of the following diagnoses by a physician or other licensed health care professional:- Cancer;
- Chronic irreversible disease;
- Punctured ear drum; or
- Fractured or chipped bone.
Significant Modification
Definition(s)
Significant Modification
Significant modification In this regulation, a significant modification means any modification that is likely to— (a) increase the likelihood of a major accident occurring; or (b) increase the severity or extent of the harm arising from a major accident. Source: Health and Safety in Employment (Petroleum Exploration and Extraction) Regulations 2013, SR 2013/208, New Zealand, as of May 2013. RegulationsSignificant Modification Of An Abatement Plan
Definition(s)
Significant Modification Of An Abatement Plan
“Significant modification of an abatement plan” means a change in the abatement technology used excluding design and operational parameters, or relocation of 25 percent or more of the compliance sampling stations, for a single medium, as designated pursuant to Subparagraph (d) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 19.15.30.13 NMAC. Source: Oil and Gas, New Mexico Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 15, January 2013. RegulationsSignificant Offshore Petroleum Incident
Definition(s)
Significant offshore petroleum incidents
Significant offshore petroleum incidents In this Division, a significant offshore petroleum incident is a significant incident or occurrence that relates to any or all of the following operations in an offshore area:- petroleum exploration operations;
- petroleum recovery operations;
- operations relating to the processing or storage of petroleum;
- operations relating to the preparation of petroleum for transport;
- operations connected with the construction or operation of a pipeline;
- operations relating to the decommissioning or removal of structures, equipment or other items of property that have been brought into an offshore area for or in connection with any of the operations mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e).
Significant Pipeline Accident Event
Definition(s)
Significant pipeline accident event (SPAE)
Term previously used by the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) (Pipelines) Regulations 2001, but not defined there, with similar implications to major accident event. Now only mentioned in the “object” of those regulations and no longer used by NOPSEMA. Source: NOPSEMA Guideline – Glossary – Regulatory Operations, N-09000-GL0326, Australia, Revision 5, December 2011. Regulatory GuidanceSignificant Repair
Definition(s)
Significant Repair
A repair where machinery is completely dismantled and re-assembled. Significant repairs will, furthermore, be cases of repairs after serious damage to machinery. Source: Rules for Classification – Offshore units, DNVGL-OU-0101, Offshore drilling and support units, DNV GL, July 2015. Global StandardsSignificant Risk
Definition(s)
Significant risk
A risk that has been assessed as requiring risk controls/barriers to reduce that risk to an acceptable level. It is an important judgement for a company to determine which risks are considered "significant". This may be based on its process and criteria for risk acceptability. Significant risks may also have assessment and/or controls defined and/or required through regulatory compliance. Source: IOGP Report No. 510, Operating Management System Framework for controlling risk and delivering high performance in the oil and gas industry, International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, June 2014. Global StandardsSignificant risk
Significant risk has a meaning affected by section 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29. Source: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Australia, amended 2012. LegislationSignificant Value
Definition(s)
Significant Value
Statistical measure of a zero-mean random variable equal to twice the standard deviation of the variable. Source: ISO 19901-7:2013, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Specific requirements for offshore structures – Part 7: Stationkeeping systems for floating offshore structures and mobile offshore units. Global StandardsSignificant Watercourse
Definition(s)
Significant Watercourse
“Significant watercourse” means a watercourse with a defined bed and bank either named on a USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle map or a first order tributary of such watercourse. Source: Oil and Gas, New Mexico Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 15, January 2013. RegulationsSignificant Wave Height
Definition(s)
Significant Wave Height
statistical measure of the height of waves in a sea state NOTE The significant wave height was originally defined as the mean height of the highest one-third of the zero upcrossing waves in a sea state. In most offshore data acquisition systems the significant wave height is currently taken as 4 m0 (where m0 is the zeroth spectral moment, see 3.31) or 4σ, where σ is the standard deviation of the time series of water surface elevation over the duration of the measurement, typically a period of approximately 30 min. Source: API RP 2MET, Derivation of Metocean Design and Operating Conditions, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSignificant Wave Height
Statistical measure of the height of waves in a sea state. NOTE The significant wave height was originally defined as the mean height of the highest one-third of the zero upcrossing waves in a sea state. In most offshore data acquisition systems, the significant wave height is currently taken as (where m0 is the zeroth spectral moment, see ISO 19901-1:2005, definition 3.31) or 4σ, where σ is the standard deviation of the time series of water surface elevation over the duration of the measurement, typically a period of approximately 30 min. [ISO 19901-1:2005, definition 3.30]. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSignificant Wave Height
average height of the highest third of prevailing waves, typically measured over a period of 3 hours . Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSIL
Definition(s)
SIL
Safety integrity level. Source: DNVGL-RP-G108, Cyber security in the oil and gas industry based on IEC 62443, DNV GL, September 2017. Global Standards Source: API STD 521, Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems, Sixth Edition, January 2014. Global Standards Source: API RP 17A, Design and Operation of Subsea Production Systems—General Requirements and Recommendations, Fourth Edition, Reaffirmed 2011. Global Standards Source: NORSOK D-002, Well intervention equipment, Rev. 2, June 2013. Global Standards Source: ANSI/ISA–99.00.01–2007, Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems, Part 1: Terminology, Concepts, and Models, 29 October 2007. National StandardSIL
Discrete integrity level of a safety instrumented function in a safety instrumented system.- NOTE: SILs are categorized in terms of probability of failure; see Annex E.
Silence
Definition(s)
Silence
Manual stopping of an audible signal. Source: IMO resolution A.1021(26), Code on Alarms and Indicators, 2009, 18 January 2010, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory GuidanceSIM
Definition(s)
SIM
Structural integrity management. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global Standards Source: ISO 19901-7:2013, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Specific requirements for offshore structures – Part 7: Stationkeeping systems for floating offshore structures and mobile offshore units. Global StandardsSIM
SIM is a continuous process used for demonstrating the fitness-for-purpose of an offshore structure from installation through to decommissioning. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSIM
SIM is a process for managing the effects of deterioration, damage, changes in loading, and accidental overloading. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSIM
Structural integrity management (SIM) is the process for demonstrating a structure’s fitness-for-purpose over its entire life. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSIM Evaluation
Definition(s)
SIM Evaluation
SIM evaluation is the method of applying competent engineering to assess the impact that new data has on the fitness-for-purpose and the SIM strategy for the platform. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSimilar Stage of Construction
Definition(s)
Similar Stage of Construction
Similar stage of construction means the stage at which: 1 construction identifiable with a specific ship begins; and 2 assembly of that ship has commenced comprising at least 50 tons or one per cent of the estimated mass of all structural material, whichever is less. <Annex II, Chapter 1, Regulation 1> Source: Resolution MEPC.118(52), amendments to the Annex of the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (Revised Annex II of MARPOL 73/78), 15 October 2004, International Maritime Organization. Legislation Source: Resolution MEPC.176(58), amendments to the Annex of the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Revised MARPOL Annex VI), 10 October 2008, International Maritime Organization. LegislationSIMOPS
Definition(s)
SIMOPS
Simultaneous Operations. Source: ISO 16530-1:2017, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Well integrity – Part 1: Life cycle governance, First Edition, March 2017. Global Standards Source: API Bulletin 97, Well Construction Interface Document Guidelines, First Edition, December 2013. Global Standards Source: 117 OLF, Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Well Integrity, No. 117, Revision No. 4, June 2011. Global Standards Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors, Appendix 2 to Health, Safety and Environment Case Guidelines for Offshore Drilling Contractors, Issue 3.3.2, February 2010. IADC Guidelines Source: ISO 20815:2008, Petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries – Production assurance and reliability management. Global StandardsSimple Apparatus
Definition(s)
Simple Apparatus
A device that will not generate or store more than 1.2 V, 0.1 A, 25 mW, or 20 ìJ. Examples are switches, thermocouples, light-emitting diodes, connectors, and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs). Apparatus reliant on voltage or current limiting or suppression devices for remaining within the limits given in the definition, and sensors (e.g. certain gas detector sensors) that utilize catalytic reaction or other electrochemical mechanisms are excluded by IEC 60079-11 from the category of “simple apparatus”. Temperature limitations as described in 4.2 are applicable to simple apparatus.
Source: API Recommended Practice 14FZ, Recommended Practice for Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Systems for Fixed and Floating Offshore Petroleum Facilities for Unclassified and Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2 Locations, Second Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSimple Apparatus
Electrical component or combination of components of simple construction with well-defined electrical parameters which is compatible with the intrinsic safety or energy-limited safety of the circuit in which it is used. Source: IEC 60079-14:2013, Explosive atmospheres – Part 14: Electrical installations design, selection and erection, Edition 5.0, November 2013. Global StandardsSimple Lifts
Definition(s)
Simple Lifts
The following are classified as simple lifting operations:- equipment specifically installed by a crane operator;
- load has known and evaluated weight;
- center of gravity below the lifting point;
- use of a certified lifting point directly above the load;
- ample headroom;
- not sensitive, difficult or in restricted areas;
- use of one crane;
- unlikely to be affected by changing environmental conditions;
- experienced and competent crane operator;
- standard rigging arrangements;
- suitable working area available;
- relevant permits.