Overview
ISO/TR 13624-2:2009 (endorsed as CEN ISO/TR 13624-2:2013 / CEN ISO/TR 13624-2:2013) is an informative technical report for the petroleum and natural gas industries that focuses on deepwater drilling riser methodologies, operations and integrity. It specifically addresses mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) that use a subsea BOP stack deployed at the seafloor. This part of ISO 13624 is intended to be used and interpreted in the context of ISO 13624‑1 (design and operation of marine drilling riser equipment) and supplements legacy guidance such as API RP 16Q.
Key topics and technical coverage
The report provides methodological guidance, analysis approaches and worked examples rather than mandatory requirements. Key technical topics include:
- Coupled and decoupled drilling riser analysis methodologies - approaches for modelling interactions between riser, conductor and vessel systems.
- Model development and basis of analysis - description of inputs, assumptions and procedures for numerical riser models.
- Coupled riser analysis and decoupled riser analysis - procedures and interpretation of results.
- Drift-off / drive-off analysis - methods to assess riser response to unplanned vessel lateral movement and stationkeeping loss.
- Recoil analysis - background, required data, performance criteria and worked examples for riser recoil events.
- Worked examples and results - illustrative cases to support methodology application and verification.
- Definitions and terminology for riser components and systems (e.g., air-can buoyancy, riser tensioner, C&K lines, BOP stack).
Practical applications and users
ISO/TR 13624-2 is intended for professionals involved in deepwater riser systems and operations:
- Offshore drilling engineers and riser designers using finite-element and coupled-system models.
- Riser integrity and reliability engineers performing risk assessments and lifecycle analysis.
- Drilling operations planners and vessel operators assessing drift-off/drive-off scenarios and emergency response.
- Third‑party reviewers, classification societies and consultants validating riser analyses.
- HSE and asset managers using the document for operational guidance, training and procedural development.
Use cases include riser system design verification, operational limits definition, emergency procedure development, and technical justification for equipment selection and stationkeeping margins.
Related standards
- ISO 13624‑1 - Design and operation of marine drilling riser equipment (normative context).
- API RP 16Q:1993 - Earlier industry practice on marine drilling riser systems referenced in the report.
ISO/TR 13624-2 is an informative, internationally recognized reference for deepwater drilling riser methodologies and integrity assessments, useful for teams working on subsea BOP operations, riser modelling and deepwater drilling risk management.
