The Norwegian Lifeboat Project was a 4-year investigation of the 16 types of freefall lifeboats used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf initiated after structural weaknesses were discovered in 2005. The project included over 20,000 model tests and 1.5 million simulations to evaluate the lifeboats' structural strength, impact on occupants from accelerations, and ability to gain headway after water entry up to 100-year weather conditions. The findings revealed design and testing standards from the International Maritime Organization were inadequate. As a result, 140 lifeboats were reinforced and new seats with 5-point belts developed. The project reports make recommendations to improve safety for existing and future freefall lifeboats operating in offshore areas worldwide.

1. SPE 2010 - 127341
The Norwegian Lifeboat Project
Rolf Skjæveland, M Sc. Per Otto Selnes, M. Sc.
Principal Engineer Safety Technology Manager Operations
Statoil OLF
Abstract
During a full scale test of a freefall lifeboat on a permanent production installation offshore
Norway in June 2005, weaknesses in the superstructure was experienced. The lifeboat had
been type approved by Norwegian authorities, based on design and testing requirements in
international codes. As a result of the discovery, The Norwegian Oil Industry Association -
OLF, on behalf of its member companies, initiated a full investigation of all 16 freefall
lifeboat types on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). During a four year programme of
investigations, tests and analysis, several weaknesses have been disclosed. The outcome of the
Norwegian Lifeboat project (LBP) has lead to proposed remedial actions for existing lifeboats
and the development of a new standard for future freefall lifeboats. The project has been
carried out in co-operation with unions, lifeboat manufacturers and authorities. It has been a
unique life boat review project, and has reduced the risk of a potential evacuation situation
offshore.
The result applies to design and operation of freefall lifeboats in offshore areas world wide.
The reports resulting from the project can mainly be divided into three topical groups;
strength of superstructure and hull, impact on the human body from acceleration forces, and
positive headway immediately after water entry. As regards existing freefall lifeboats, it has
been necessary to reinforce the superstructure of 140 lifeboats and to develop new seats with
5-point seat belts. In certain weather conditions it is recommended to take operational
precautions when there is a risk of excessive acceleration forces or a risk that existing boats
do not have sufficient positive headway. A new navigational tool has also been developed.
The results of the studies and tests carried out have been documented in a number of reports,
available on request.
Additional project activities, not included in the initial scope, has been to study launching
arrangements for evacuation means in general, as well as specific challenges for conventional
launchable lifeboats. The main parts of the latter studies have been carried out within a project
initiated by, and paid by, the Norwegian Ship owner Association. The results of the studies of
the two additional areas, have been documented in separate reports.
The main Norwegian offshore unions have made important contributions throughout the
project
The main project, as well as the part on launching arrangements, and additional studies on
launchable lifeboats, has been financed by the oil & gas companies on the NCS.

2. Introduction
Offshore installation tests in close to calm water carried out in 2005 revealed an unacceptable
structural degree of deflection of the roof in one of the 16 types of free-fall lifeboats.
OLF Oljeindustriens Landsforening www.olf.no 10
Immediate remedial action was initiated by the OLF, including the study and documentation
of the main performance factors for free-fall lifeboats in up to 100-year weather conditions.
The findings revealed that the design and testing requirements to free fall lifeboats issued by
UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) are inadequate.

3. Studies and tests
A four year extensive programme of tests and analysis have been carried out by leading
technical institutions in Norway and abroad, satisfying 100-year weather conditions. There
were at the beginning of the project 212 freefall lifeboats on the NCS, representing 16
different types, produced by two manufacturers. The testing program included up to over
20.000 model tests of freefall lifeboats in a wave tank. Systematic tests to document pressure
loads, acceleration loads, and forward speed have been performed in selected wave heights
and wave headings. Calm-water model test results were compared to 250 full-scale drop tests.
In addition, up to 1.500.000 simulations have been carried out. We have applied numerical
models of the seat and restraint system with an automotive crash dummy as a replacement for
a real 50th percentile human occupant.
The reports can mainly be divided into three topical groups; positive headway, strength and
accelerations.

4. Strength
Realistic tests have been carried out, and the 16 different freefall lifeboat types have been
analysed and examined against a set of structural criteria, including suitable load cases and
structural safety levels. It has been necessary to reinforce the superstructure of 140 lifeboats,
representing 11 of the 16 types. The reinforcements required have been made by installing
additional beams in order to strengthen the superstructure (canopy), and strengthening the
frames of the access hatches and doors.
For each boat type there is a report summarising the results from tests and Finite element (FE)
analysis.
OLF Oljeindustriens Landsforening www.olf.no 12

5. Accelerations
Although free-fall boats have been used in thousands of full-scale training drops and are
currently installed on platforms, only limited technical studies have been published
investigating their free-fall impact. The majority of these studies have focused on the
hydrodynamic impact performance of the boat in an effort to understand variations such as
centre of gravity (CG), mass distribution, environmental effects (waves) and hull design. All
studies used boat acceleration as the primary response characteristic as measured at various
locations throughout the boat.
A handful of studies have considered the impact response of the occupants, but were often
limited to global acceleration based injury criteria using signals obtained from the boat. Only
one study could be found investigating the impact response of a hybrid dummy during free-
fall impacts, which was focused on its ability to predict occupant injury potential.
In the LBP, the safety level for life boat occupants have been evaluated up to a 100-year
weather condition using a numerical model of the seat and restraint system with a automotive
crash dummy as a replacement for a real 50th percentile human occupant.
The overall purpose of this sub-project within the LBP was to provide a comprehensive
assessment of occupant injury risk during drop conditions of currently installed freefall
lifeboats, in an effort to improve occupant safety. The entire research scope has included
injury biomechanics, occupant assessment criteria, boat hydrodynamics, full-scale testing,
model-scale testing, numerical modelling, sensitivity analysis and optimization, and sled
testing. The project has consulted experts on consequences on human beings from car crash
testing, but it has been necessary to develop specific acceptance injury criteria and limits.
A number of important findings explained why the existing international criteria are
inadequate when requiring final prototype testing in calm water only. The impact on the
human body from high accelerations varies not only with drop height, but more importantly
with wave height and direction, and also the loading (weight) of the boat. Furthermore it was
found that persons seated in seats at the extreme ends of a boat are generally subject to higher
impact than if seated in the middle.

6. Positive headway
Forward distance / speed immediately after water entry, thrust and steering capacity have
been evaluated up to a 100-year weather condition.
As for acceleration tests, a learning from this part of the project is that weather conditions
plays an important role, and in this case, particularly wind and wave direction. It is also
crucial that the life boat propeller is being started as quickly as possible.
The forward distance reports present boat particulars, model test results, short description of
correlation and extrapolation methods, the selection of simulation tracks and final results
showing lifeboat capability to obtain distance away from launch position.
Final results are given as contour plots for four sea states representing the Norwegian Sea
typical 100-year condition (Hs=15.7m), 10-year condition (Hs=13.7m), 1-year weather
condition (Hs=11.4m) and Hs=8.0m including constant wind velocities. Results are given for
two launch directions (head seas and bow oblique seas) and two values of time for start
propeller after water entry (5s and 10s).
Example – Lifeboat location vs installation
structure
Lifeboat
closest
to the
+
structure Engine starts 10 sec.
after water impact
Column
Column
11

7. New navigation assistance system developed.
The LBP funded the development of a new, simple and robust navigational aid, making it
easier for the lifeboat pilots to steer the lifeboat away from the installation in conditions of
poor visibility.

8. Hull
CFD analyses are being carried out to determine the pressure loads on the lifeboat hull during
slamming. The slamming phase starts when the boat enters the water, and is characterized by
large pressure loads on the hull. The first tests have disclosed some possible weaknesses the
hull, and installation specific tests will have to be carried out. Such specific tests had not
started at the time of writing this paper.
Reports
The results of the tests and the analysis have been described in a number of reports which can
mainly be divided into three topical groups; positive headway, strength and accelerations. See
Appendix
CONCLUSION
The work carried out during the Norwegian Lifeboat Project has made it possible to reduce
the risk of accidents should evacuation to sea from an offshore installation become necessary.
Acknowledgements
The authors want to thank the project leaders from ConocoPhillips and Statoil and the Statoil
based project organisation, the consulting firms Fedem, Marintek and TNO for their
contributions during the project described in this paper.
Funding, management, working method and organisation
The LBP was funded by the lifeboat owners and managed by OLF, and has been carried out
over a period of 4.5 years. The cost, including reinforcement of lifeboat superstructure,
external contract cost, project management and the contribution by company and external
representatives in the various work groups has been some NOK 400 millions. The technical
project organisation was provided by Statoil and ConocoPhillips. The lifeboat owners BP,
ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Gassco, Marathon, Shell, Statoil and Talisman, formed a
steering committee, and in addition there was a reference committee with representatives from
the main offshore unions IndustryEnergy, SAFE, Lederne and the marine officers, from the
lifeboat producers Umoe Schat Harding and Norsafe, as well as observers from the
Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate.
Nomenclature
CFD - Computational Fluid Dynamics
CG - Centre of gravity
FE - Finite element
Hs – Significant wave height
IMO - UN’s International Maritime Organisation
LBP – The Norwegian Lifeboat Project
NOK – Norwegian kroner
OLF - Norwegian Oil Industry Association
PSA – The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority
TNO - Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Building and Construction
UN – United Nations

9. Appendix – Reports
Positive headway
Forward distance / speed immediately after water entry, thrust and steering capacity are
evaluated up to a 100-year weather condition.
Strength
Lifeboats are examined against the newly developed set of structural criteria and reinforced
when necessary. For each boat type there is a report summarising the results from tests and FE
analysis.
Accelerations
The safety level for life boat occupants are evaluated up to a 100-year weather condition using
a numerical model of the seat and restraint system with a automotive crash dummy as a
replacement for a real 50th percentile human occupant.
Miscellaneous
In the interest of promoting safety and further research and development some documents are
available for free downloads.
A full list of the reports can be accessed at www.olf.no/ lifeboatreports/.
For information about price and other provisions, please contact
StatoilHydro ASA,NO-4035 Stavanger, Norway. Attn.: Rolf Skjaeveland
rolsk@statoilhydro.com