[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 198 (Friday, October 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62247-62248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25132]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2011-1106]


Dynamic Positioning Operations Guidance for Vessels Other Than 
Mobile Offshore Drilling Units Operating on the U.S. Outer Continental 
Shelf

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Recommended Interim Voluntary Guidance.

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SUMMARY: On May 4, 2012 the Coast Guard published a notice of 
recommended interim voluntary guidance titled ``Mobile Offshore 
Drilling Unit Dynamic Positioning Guidance''. The notice recommended 
owners and operators of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) follow 
Marine Technology Society (MTS) Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations 
guidance for MODUs. The Coast Guard is now also recommending owners and 
operators of all vessels other than MODUs conducting Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) activities on the U.S. OCS follow the appropriate MTS DP 
operations guidance for these vessels. In particular, the Coast Guard 
recommends owners and operators of these vessels operate within an 
Activity Specific Operating Guideline for each activity and operate 
with its Critical Activity Mode of Operation when that activity is 
critical.

DATES: The policy outlined in this document is effective October 12, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: This notice and the documents referenced within are 
available in the docket and can be viewed by going to 
www.regulations.gov, inserting USCG-2011-1106 in the ``Keyword'' box, 
and then clicking ``Search.'' The recommended interim voluntary 
guidance titled ``Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Dynamic 
Positioning (DP) Guidance'' is also available at www.uscg.mil and can 
be viewed by clicking the link to the Office of Design and Engineering 
Standards (CG-ENG) under the ``Units,'' ``USCG Headquarters 
Organization,'' and ``CG-5P'' tabs, and scrolling down to ``Policy 
Documents.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or the policy, call or email Commander Joshua Reynolds, Office of 
Design and Engineering Standards, Human Element and Ship Design 
Division (CG-ENG-1), telephone (202) 372-1355, or email 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing material 
in the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket 
Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Intent To Publish Rule

    On July 7, 2010, in response to a request from the Coast Guard, the 
National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) issued the report 
``Recommendations for Dynamic Positioning System Design and 
Engineering, Operational and Training Standards''. The report 
recommended the Coast Guard establish minimum Dynamic Positioning (DP) 
reliability standards and contained draft guidance from the Marine 
Technology Society (MTS) DP Committee for Mobile Offshore Drilling 
Units (MODUs), logistics and construction vessels, which the MTS has 
since completed. On May 4, 2012, the Coast Guard published a notice of 
recommended interim voluntary guidance titled ``Mobile Offshore 
Drilling Unit Dynamic Positioning Guidance'' 77 FR 26562. The notice 
highlighted that DP incidents on MODUs can result in severe 
consequences including loss of life, pollution, and property damage and 
recommended owners and operators of MODUs follow MTS DP operations 
guidance for MODUs. In particular, the Coast Guard recommended owners 
and operators of MODUs operate within a Well Specific Operating 
Guideline (WSOG) while attached to the seafloor of the U.S. Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) and operate within its Critical Activity Mode 
of Operations (CAMO) during critical activities.
    The Coast Guard recognizes that DP incidents on logistics and 
construction vessels also can result in severe

[[Page 62248]]

consequences. Because of this potential, and the recommendation from 
the NOSAC to set minimum DP reliability standards, the Coast Guard 
intends to publish a rule that addresses minimum DP design and 
operating standards for all vessels conducting OCS activities using DP 
on the U.S. OCS.

Interim Voluntary DP Guidance

    Until such time as there is a regulatory requirement, the Coast 
Guard recommends owners and operators of all vessels other than MODUs 
conducting OCS activities on the U.S. OCS voluntarily follow guidance 
provided in the ``DP Operations Guidance Prepared through the Dynamic 
Positioning Committee of the Marine Technology Society to aid in the 
safe and effective management of DP Operations'', Part 2, Appendix 2, 
DP Project/Construction Vessels (July 2012)'' or ``Appendix 3, DP 
Logistics vessels (July 2012)'' as appropriate. These documents are 
available at http://www.dynamic-positioning.com/dp_operations_guidance.cfm. In particular, the Coast Guard recommends owners and 
operators of these vessels operate within an Activity Specific 
Operating Guideline (ASOG) for each OCS activity and operate within the 
vessel's CAMO when that OCS activity is critical. Each ASOG should 
clearly state whether the activity it covers is critical. The Coast 
Guard further recommends that any vessel engaged in DP Simultaneous 
Operations (SIMOPS) follow applicable WSOGs and/or ASOGs for DP SIMOPS 
and operate within their respective CAMOs.
    The guidance contained in the notice is not a substitute for 
applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a regulation. It is not 
intended to nor does it impose legally binding requirements on any 
party. It represents the Coast Guard's current thinking on this topic 
and may assist industry, mariners, the general public, and the Coast 
Guard, as well as other Federal and State regulators, in applying 
statutory and regulatory requirements. You can use an alternative 
approach if the approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable 
statutes and regulations.

    Authority: This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 
552(a), 43 U.S.C. 1331, et seq., and 33 CFR 1.05-1.

    Dated: October 2, 2012.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2012-25132 Filed 10-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P