U.S. Coast Guard Proposes Significant Overhaul of Dynamic Positioning (DP) Requirements

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on November 28 which, if adopted, would establish minimum design, operation, training and manning standards for vessels using dynamic positioning systems on the U.S. outer continental shelf. According to the Coast Guard, the purpose of the regulation is to prevent and ameliorate dynamic positioning incidents. The proposed rule would affect hundreds of both existing and future offshore support vessels (OSVs) and mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) as the Coast Guard has proposed an alternative without grandfathering and no phase-in period. In many areas, the proposed rule would adopt existing industry standards. Comments on the proposed regulation are due by February 26, 2015.