MODUs
The development of standards, guidelines,
and Rules to ensure safe design, quality construction, and verify that
offshore equipment was built to a recognized standard, helped the
industry. These Rules also assured domestic and foreign regulatory
authorities, charged with safety on their continental shelves, that the
equipment being used to explore for oil and gas in their waters was
safe. The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) led an industry effort by
forming a Special Committee to write Rules by which structural and
mechanical fitness-for-purpose of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs)
could be assured. The ABS Rules for Building and Classing Mobile
Drilling Units was first published in 1968. In large part, the later
International Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) rules for MODUs
were based on these. Many engineers and naval architects within the
industry, the ABS, and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) contributed to developing
the Rules. The Committee was made up of drilling contractors, oil
companies, designers, building yards, USCG, and ABS specialists. The
names of the 1968 ABS MODU committee are given below.
Recognizing the pioneering efforts of
the following people and companies who contributed to the development of
this technology:
Frederik H. "Henry" Ackema, Norman
D. "Scotty" Birrell, Richard L. Brown, Garvin W. Cooper, H.E. Denzler,
Jr., John C. Estes, D.H. Falkingham, G.B. Grafton, John R. Graham, James
W. Greely, Edwin Hartzman, M.D. Korkut, Dean A. Kypke, C.W. Levingston,
Sam H. Lloyd, Charles O. Macdonald, Robert H. Macy, Foster T. Manning,
Richard M. Marsh, William A. Martinovich, W.L. McDonald Jr., Walter H.
Michel, A.R. Newman, M. O. Pattison, F. "Tim" Pease, Ralph E. Scales,
George L. Temple,
American Bureau of Shipping, Avondale, Bethlehem Steel, Chevron (ChevronTexaco),
Conoco, Earl & Wright (Kvaerner R. J. Brown) Friede & Goldman Ltd.,
Global Marine (GlobalSantaFe), Humble Oil & Refining Co. (ExxonMobil),
Kerr-McGee, Mobil, ODECO (Diamond Offshore), Pan American Petroleum
(BP), Reading & Bates (Transocean Inc.), Santa Fe International (Global
Santa Fe), SEDCO (Sedco Forex), Shell, The Offshore Co. (Transocean
Inc.), U.S. Coast Guard, WODECO
