1. The EU Mandate & Offshore Precision 🌝

In the demanding offshore environment, precision in geotechnical drilling is the difference between safe, compliant infrastructure—and costly delays or catastrophic failure. The EU’s Directive on Safety of Offshore Oil & Gas Operations (2013/30/EU) mandates rigorous standards to prevent accidents and protect intact marine ecosystems

For OTS Offshore, ensuring compliance with Eurocode 7 (EN 1997) for geotechnical design and EN 16228 standards for drilling equipment is non-negotiable. These requirements influence everything from rig selection to onsite safety procedures and data reporting.

2. Why Compliance & Precision Matter

🧱 EU Safety & Environmental Compliance

• • Under 2013/30/EU, offshore operators must file a “Report on Major Hazards,” undergo safety reviews, and confirm financial and technical capacity

  • Drill rigs must meet EN 16228 standards—covering equipment safety, guardrails, stability, and operational controls .

  • Geotechnical design relies on Eurocode 7, the mandatory framework for assessing soil behavior and designing reliable foundations

⚙️ Technical Benefits

• Accurate soil profiling supports precise foundation design, reduces margin-of-error, and lowers project lifecycle risks. With offshore conditions influenced by waves, currents, and seabed variability, reliable subsurface data from CPT, SPT, and rotary coring is essential.

3. OTS’s Precision-Driven Process

Here’s how OTS Offshore aligns with EU standards to deliver precision in offshore geotechnical drilling:

3.1 Rig Selection & Mobilization

• • Jack‑up rigs are chosen for shallows up to ~125 m; when precision is critical, OTS opts for purpose-built frames

  • Before deployment, every rig is assessed for EN 16228 compliance with certified lift systems, stable derricks, safety relief valves, and emergency stop mechanisms—ensuring both safety and data integrity.

3.2 Equipment & Methodology

• • OTS deploys CPT/CPTu to capture continuous profiles of soil resistance and pore-pressure.

  • SPT assesses soil density and porosity.

  • Rotary coring delivers undisturbed continuous cores for lab analysis.

  • Seabed samplers (e.g., Shelby tubes, vibrocores) ensure high-fidelity sediment sampling.

  • Seismic CPT provides shear-wave velocity data crucial for dynamic design.

  Tools are calibrated and maintained in-house—lab-tested in compliance with ISO TC 67 and EU equipment directives

3.3 In-Situ Testing

• Real-time validation during operations is critical:

  • Zero-offset CPT ensures drilling plumbness.

  • Seismic CPT captures wave velocities for dynamic soil properties.

  • Piezocone measurements record in-situ pore-water pressures.

  • SPT N‑counts disclose variable soil resistances.

  These checks guarantee test reliability and align with EN 1997‑2 ground investigation standards.

3.4 Lab Testing & Analysis

• In-house labs analyze:

  • Shear strength (triaxial/consolidated tests)

  • Permeability (constant-head or falling-head)

  • Grain-size distribution & Atterberg limits

  This is documented in QA/QC traceable reports tied to original sample IDs and signed by certified engineers, reinforcing Expertise and Trustworthiness.

3.5 Reporting & Design Recommendations

• • Technical reports are structured per EU formats, referencing standards like EN 1997.

  • Data visualizations include soil stratigraphy charts, CPT/SPT logs, and shear-wave plots.

  • Foundation design input (e.g., pile capacity, allowable settlement) are provided as engineering guidelines.

  • OTS supports Client’s EU contractors to ensure designs are safely integrated.

4. Why EU Clients Choose OTS

1. OTS Offshore stands out through:

   1. Regulatory Conformance: Full alignment with 2013/30/EU, EN 16228, EN 1997.

   2. In-house QA: Every stage—calibration, testing, lab work—is conducted on-site in Vũng Tàu, reducing third-party delays.

   3. Technical Certification: Drill rigs and crews certified to EU and ISO benchmarks through ISO TC 67.

   4. Fast-Track Reporting: Standard EU-compliant deliverables available within 3 weeks post-fieldwork.

   5. Project Track Record: Case file includes North Sea wind, Mediterranean pipelines, and Asia‑EU offshore corridors.

   “OTS’s CPT and SPT logs—and lab-tested shear strengths—were accepted by our EU foundation engineers and formed the baseline for monopile design.”

   📈 Benefit: Fewer re-mobilization risks, lower liabilities, and faster permitting in Europe.

5. Visual Summary (Image Suggestions)

• Seabed drilling rig structure
• CPT log samples
• Core sampling tools in operation
• EN/ISO-certified documentation

6. References / Backlink List

1. https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-security/safety-offshore-oil-and-gas-operations_en
2. https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/cen/702395fd-aa79-483e-9f17-3c2eff90f951/en-16228-7-2014a1-2021
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocode_7%3A_Geotechnical_design
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_penetration_test
5. https://www.drillingmanual.com/offshore-drilling-rigs-types-in-oil-gas
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS_5930
7. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Overview-of-basic-components-of-sea-floor-drill-rig-MeBo_fig3_307719110

9. Contact OTS Offshore 🌐

OTS OFFSHORE TRADING & SERVICES CO., LTD
📍 Office: 63/18A Co Giang St., Ving Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, VN
🏣 Workshop: 42H, 30/4 St., Tam Thang Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, VN
📞 Phone: +84 908 52 54 74 | (0254) 354 0969
📧 Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
🌐 Web: www.ots-tl.com