Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
Structural Integrity
Definition(s)
Structural integrity
Structural integrity includes the following:- structural soundness;
- structural strength;
- stability;
- fitness for purpose;
- mechanical integrity;
- systems integrity; in connection with:
- the containment of:
- petroleum; or
- a greenhouse gas substance; or
- any other substance; or
- the health and safety of persons engaged in:
- offshore petroleum operations (within the meaning of Part 6.9); or
- offshore greenhouse gas operations (within the meaning of Part 6.9). For the purposes of paragraph (f), systems integrity includes the integrity of the following:
- electrical systems;
- electronic systems;
- hydraulic systems;
- chemical systems;
- dynamic positioning systems;
- other systems.
Upper Explosive Limit
Definition(s)
Upper Explosive Limit
Concentration of flammable gas or vapour in air, above which the gas atmosphere is not explosive. [IEV 426-02-10, modified]. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsLower Explosive Limit
Definition(s)
Lower Explosive Limit
Concentration of flammable gas or vapour in air, below which the gas atmosphere is not explosive. [IEV 426-02-09, modified]. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsLower Explosive Limit
“Lower explosive limit” means the lower limit of flammability of a chemical agent or a combination of chemical agents at ambient temperature and pressure, expressed- for a gas or vapour, as a percentage per volume of air, and
- for dust, as the weight of dust per volume of air.
Offshore Drill Site
Definition(s)
Offshore Drill Site
“Offshore drill site” means a drill site within a water-covered area that is not an island, an artificial island or an ice platform (emplacement de forage au large des côtes. Source: Canada Oil and Gas Installations Regulations, SOR/96-111, Canada, current to May 1, 2014. Regulations Source: Canada Oil and Gas Installations Regulations, SOR/96-118, February 2013. RegulationsAir Lock
Definition(s)
Air Lock
Compartment connecting two different environments, usually at different pressures, that enables personnel to transfer from one environment to the other. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsNormal Operation
Definition(s)
Normal Operation
Operating the system to perform the intended basic functionality. Source: API SPEC 17F, Specification for Subsea Production Control Systems, Second Edition, December 2006 (Reaffirmed April 2011). Global StandardsNormal Operation
Situation when the equipment is operating within its design parameters NOTE 1 Minor releases of flammable material may be part of normal operation. For example, releases from seals which rely on wetting by the fluid which is being pumped are considered to be minor releases. NOTE 2 Failures (such as the breakdown of pump seals, flange gaskets or spillages caused by accidents) which involve urgent repair or shutdown are not considered to be part of normal operation nor are they considered to be catastrophic. NOTE 3 Normal operation includes start-up and shutdown conditions. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsRelease Rate
Definition(s)
Release Rate
Quantity of flammable gas or vapour emitted per unit time from the source of release. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsSecondary Grade of Release
Definition(s)
Secondary Grade of Release
Release which is not expected to occur in normal operation and, if it does occur, is likely to do so only infrequently and for short periods. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsPrimary Grade of Release
Definition(s)
Primary Grade of Release
Release which can be expected to occur periodically or occasionally during normal operation. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsContinuous Grade of Release
Definition(s)
Continuous Grade of Release
Release which is continuous or is expected to occur frequently or for long periods. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsGrades of Release
Definition(s)
Grades of Release
There are three basic grades of release, as listed below in order of decreasing frequency and likelihood of the explosive gas atmosphere being present: a) continuous grade; b) primary grade; c) secondary grade. A source of release may give rise to any one of these grades of release, or to a combination of more than one. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsNon-Hazardous Area
Definition(s)
Non-Hazardous Area
Area in which an explosive atmosphere is not expected to be present in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use of equipment. Source: IEC 60079-14:2013, Explosive atmospheres – Part 14: Electrical installations design, selection and erection, Edition 5.0, November 2013. Global Standards Source: IEC 60079-17:2013, Explosive atmospheres – Part 17: Electrical installations inspection and maintenance, Edition 5.0, November 2013. Global StandardsNon-Hazardous Area
Area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not expected to be present in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use of apparatus. [IEV 426-03-02, modified] Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsNon-Hazardous Area
Any area not classified as Zone 0, 1 or 2 and deemed to be non-hazardous with respect to the absence of any possibility of occurrence of a flammable atmosphere. 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 GuidelinesNon-Hazardous Area
Non-hazardous areas are those which are not classified as hazardous according to the above definitions. Source: Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Mobile Offshore Units, Part 7, Safety Systems, Hazardous Areas and Fire, June 2013, Lloyd’s Register, Global StandardsExplosive Atmosphere
Definition(s)
Explosive Atmosphere
Mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gas, vapour, mist or dust, in which, after ignition, combustion spreads throughout the unconsumed mixture. [IEV 426-02-02, modified] Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsArea Classification
Definition(s)
Area Classification
Division of an installation into hazardous areas and non-hazardous areas and the sub-division of hazardous areas into zones Note 1 to entry: This classification is based on the materials which can be present and the probability of a flammable atmosphere developing. Area classification is primarily used in the selection of electrical equipment to minimize the likelihood of ignition if a release occurs. Source: ISO 13702:2015, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Control and mitigation of fires and explosions on offshore production installations — Requirements and guidelines, Second Edition, August 2015. Global StandardsArea Classification
Assessed division of a facility into hazardous and non-hazardous areas, and the subdivision of the hazardous areas into zones. Source: IEC 61892-7, Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations – Part 7: Hazardous areas. Global StandardsState Title
Definition(s)
State title
State title means an authority, however described, under a law of a State, to explore for, or to recover, petroleum. Source: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Australia, amended 2012. LegislationState/territory Title
Definition(s)
State/territory title
State/Territory title means an instrument under a law of a State or the Northern Territory that confers, in relation to the coastal waters of the State or Territory, some or all of the rights that a Commonwealth title confers in relation to the offshore area of the State or Territory. Source: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Australia, amended 2012. LegislationState/territory title
State/Territory title means an instrument under a law of a State or the Northern Territory that confers, in relation to the coastal waters of the State or Territory, some or all of the rights that a Commonwealth title confers in relation to the offshore area of the State or Territory. Note: The offshore area of a State or Territory is defined by section 8. Source: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Australia, amended 2012. LegislationState PSLA
Definition(s)
State PSLA
State PSLA has the same meaning as in Part 6.9.1State PSLA
State PSLA means:- in relation to New South Wales—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State; or
- in relation to Victoria—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State; or
- in relation to Queensland—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State; or
- in relation to Western Australia—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State; or
- in relation to South Australia—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State; or
- in relation to Tasmania—the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 of that State.
Special Petroleum Exploration Permit
Definition(s)
Special petroleum exploration permit
Special petroleum exploration permit means:- a petroleum exploration permit granted under Division 4 of Part 2.2 of this Act; or
- an exploration permit granted under section 27 of the repealed Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967; or
- a petroleum exploration permit granted under Division 5 of Part 2.2 of this Act by way of the renewal of a permit referred to in paragraph (a) or (b); or
- an exploration permit granted under section 32 of the repealed Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967 by way of the renewal of a permit referred to in paragraph (b).