The goal of the certification scheme is to help increase quality control and efficiency and help projects being delivered as scheduled by shortening lead times.

Major efficiency issues in the subsea sector are the highly variable requirements by operators from field to field and that quality assurance processes are customised on a project-specific basis. This greatly affects cost levels.

The DNV GL standard aims to help the interpretation of existing API and ISO standards and develop a certificate that will give operators confidence that the fabrication quality is being controlled and assured throughout the industry's complex and distributed value chain.

DNV GL oil and gas segment director Bjorn Sogard said standardisation was widely agreed to be the solution to address many inefficiencies in most industries.

"Subsea operators are addressing standardisation mainly in terms of interfaces and interchangeability," he said.

Sogard said with the certification scheme for subsea equipment and components DNV GL aimed to streamline quality and manufacturing processes.

This, he said, was where great efficiencies could be found.

More specifically the standard will:

• Provide a predictable set of documents for integrators, equipment owners or operators to review. There will be a consistent set of quality activities required to be carried out by all suppliers in a project
• Reduce risk for the integrators and owners, since much of the verification and review can be completed on site at sub-suppliers prior to being shipped to integrators' sites for assembly. Risks will also be identified at earlier stages in the project
• Improve quality and safety by increase suppliers' familiarity with the requirements and specifications through the unified and efficient deployment of quality control plans for the individual projects
• Reduce pressure on the global supply chains by facilitating the use of subcontractors for inspection and surveillance activities
• Let suppliers stock long lead items. Short lead time is important in the development of marginal fields and tie-backs.

"For operators it will reduce costs without sacrificing quality, innovation or safety and subsequently shorten lead times," Sogard said.

"For suppliers, it will increase predictability and enable the strategic stocking of long lead items.

"DNV GL believes that the subsea industry can gain a great deal from the experience built up in an offshore classification scheme.

"Here they have a long tradition of distributed and globalised supply chains, as well as standardised quality assurance processes.

"At the same time the industry has continuously to develop innovative solutions in a competitive market."