The Bahamas continues to be at the forefront of safety initiatives in the offshore sector

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) is proud to be part of a working group, brought together by one of The Bahamas recognised Classification Societies, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), which is aimed at addressing the safety challenges resulting from the ageing Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) fleet. More than half of these vessels are over 30-years-old and a quarter more than 40.

Working jointly with a number of stakeholders including shipowners and regulators from the US Coast Guard, The BMA looks forward to playing a major role in developing strategies for ensuring that these vessels remain structurally sound and effectively maintained to ensure the safety of those working onboard and sustain the environment of the region of operation. The working group has established a number of Joint Industry Projects, in which The BMA is actively engaged, to assess novel techniques. These include composite materials repairs, life extension of wire ropes, gauging management software, applications of photogrammetry, use of 3D Lidar Laser Scanning and the role of artificial intelligence in corrosion analysis.

Stephen Keenan, Head of Inspections & Surveys Department at The BMA, said: “This is an opportunity for all of the stakeholders to come together, bringing all their expertise and resources into play, so that we can ensure FPSOs remain safe for seafarers, and environmentally sustainable, in the future.  The BMA has worked continuously to improve the safety of our industry, so this is an initiative that we are very pleased to support through our participation.”

The Bahamas is the leading ship registry for FPSOs, with over 45 units registered.