All Rig Types · Engineering Deliverable

Arc Flash for every rig.
Jack-up to drillship to FPSO.
One canonical practice.

The arc flash study for every offshore + onshore rig type · jack-up drilling rigs · drillships · semi-submersibles · spar platforms · tension leg platforms (TLP) · fixed production platforms · compliant towers · FPSOs · FSOs · FLNG units · mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) · onshore land rigs. Where flammable vapors, volatile liquids, and explosive gasses meet energised electrical equipment, the arc flash risk shifts. API RP 14F + API RP 14FZ + API RP 500/505 + IMO SOLAS + IEC 61892 + IEEE 1584-2018 + NFPA 70E 2024 + OSHA 1910.269 + NEC. ASTM-approved PPE. Engineering deliverable signed by a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIE FIE).

Scope Your Arc Flash Study → See the Workflow
H H H JACK-UP DRILLSHIP SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE FPSO FIXED +6 MORE
RIG TYPES · ENGINEERED FOR ALL 11
From jack-up to drillship to semi-submersible to spar to FPSO to fixed platform
CSS+SVG cinematic rendering · one canonical arc flash practice for every offshore + onshore rig type
500+
Arc Flash Studies
1,000+
Power System Studies
21
Countries
12
Years · Since 2014
UAE Standards Stack

API RP 14F + IMO SOLAS + IEC 61892 + IEEE 1584.
The eight layers offshore HSE reads.

An arc flash study for offshore oil and gas operations is a layered compliance proof against API recommended-practice documents (the de-facto industry standard for petroleum facilities), class society rules (depending on flag, water, and operator), marine electrical IEC standards, IMO SOLAS for safety of life at sea, and IEEE 1584-2018 plus NFPA 70E 2024 for the underlying calculation and work-practice. Every deliverable opens with the conformance matrix mapping each section to each standard.

API RP 14F
Electrical Systems for Fixed + Floating
The petroleum-industry standard for offshore electrical design and installation. Covers fixed platforms, FPSOs, FSOs, and tension leg platforms. Mandates arc flash hazard analysis per IEEE 1584. Underwrites every Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, and Middle East offshore study.
API RP 14FZ
Electrical Systems for Zone Areas
API standard for offshore facilities with Zone 0 / Zone 1 / Zone 2 hazardous area classification (in lieu of the older Class I Div system). Critical for IEC 60079-aligned offshore installations. Drives Ex-rated equipment selection.
API RP 500 + 505
Hazardous Area Classification
Classification of locations for electrical installations at petroleum facilities. API RP 500 uses Class I Division 1/2 (legacy US system). API RP 505 uses Zone 0/1/2 (IEC alignment). Both feed the arc flash PPE-versus-Ex-rated-equipment matrix.
Marine Class Society RP-D102
Offshore Electrical Risk Assessment
Recommended practice for offshore electrical risk under the marine class society framework. Energised-work permit framework, qualified-person designation, label format for topsides. References IEEE 1584 methodology.
Class Society Guide · FPSO + MODU
Class Society Rules
Class society guide for floating production storage and offloading systems, and mobile offshore drilling units. Cross-references NFPA 70E. Drives the labelling format and 5-year revalidation cycle for Class Society-classed assets.
IMO SOLAS Ch II-1
Safety of Life at Sea · Electrical
International Maritime Organization safety convention. Electrical installation requirements for ships and MODUs. Mandatory for flag-state acceptance per the UN International Maritime Organization framework.
IEC 61892 Series
Mobile + Fixed Offshore Units · Electrical
IEC series for offshore unit electrical installations. Cable selection, distribution architecture, fault protection. Drives source-impedance basis for arc flash calculation.
IEEE 1584-2018 + NFPA 70E 2024
Calculation + Work Practice
The underlying calculation standard (IEEE 1584-2018) plus the work-practice standard (NFPA 70E 2024). NFPA 70E cross-referenced by class societies and BSEE. Calculations adjusted for floating-platform earthing and offshore weather.
11 Rig Types

Every offshore + onshore rig type. Engineered.

VB Engineering arc flash deliverables span every rig variant in the upstream-O&G stack. The calculation methodology adjusts per rig topology · floating-platform earthing for FPSOs and drillships, jack-up earthing for MODUs, fixed-platform earthing for steel-jacket structures. The standards layer · per rig class. The PPE selection · per Zone classification. Below: the 11 rig types we engineer arc flash for.

Jack-up Drilling Rig
3-leg MODU · drilled wells · shallow water
Drillship
Ship-shape · deep water · dynamically positioned
Semi-Submersible
Twin pontoon · partially submerged · stable in rough seas
Spar Platform
Long cylindrical hull · deep water · catenary moored
Tension Leg Platform (TLP)
4 vertical tendons · zero heave · deep water
Fixed Production Platform
Steel jacket · piled to seabed · shelf production
Compliant Tower
Flexible steel tower · mid-depth · between fixed + floating
FPSO
Floating Production Storage Offloading · ship-shape with turret
FSO
Floating Storage Offloading · no production · tanker storage
FLNG
Floating LNG · liquefaction + storage on water
Onshore Land Rig + MODU
Land-based + Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit · upstream + drilling

Eleven rig types · one engineering practice · one CEng MIE FIE signature.

Upstream Oil + Gas · Five facility types

Where the arc flash risk lives. Five upstream facility types.

Arc Flash incidents are caused by workers servicing energised electrical equipment. In the upstream oil + gas stack, the consequences compound · because flammable vapors, volatile liquids, and explosive gasses turn a localised electrical event into a catastrophic facility-wide one. Static electric discharge in a hazardous area can ignite an atmosphere before the arc flash boundary is breached. Arc Flash Risk Assessment for Oil Rigs is conducted facility-by-facility per the OSHA + NFPA 70E + IEEE 1584 + NEC + ASTM standards.

FACILITY 1

Fuel + storage tanks

Crude and product storage farms. Vapour-recovery systems. Tank-mixer and breather valves. Class I Div 2 perimeter zones. The arc flash hazard sits where switchgear feeds pumps and instrumentation. Static-discharge risk is real during transfer operations · the arc flash boundary and the explosive-atmosphere boundary overlap.

FACILITY 2

Propane gas cylinder processing

Cylinder-fill stations. Vapour-purge skids. Mass-flow controllers + safety interlocks. Class I Div 1 inside the fill envelope. The arc flash deliverable maps PPE category against the Ex-rated equipment selection · the worker needs both layers.

FACILITY 3

Frack tanks + fueling operations

Mobile frack-tank manifolds. Diesel + LNG fueling. Generator sets feeding pumps and instrumentation. The arc flash recalculation runs scenarios for each generation mode + each tie-in configuration. Mobile-equipment energised-work permits demand specific PPE-storage discipline.

FACILITY 4

Natural gas pipelines

Compressor stations. Metering + regulating skids. Pig-launcher/receiver stations. SCADA RTU cabinets. The arc flash study covers each pipeline node end-to-end · pump room MCC + outdoor switchgear + cathodic-protection rectifiers + telemetry shed.

FACILITY 5

Onshore + offshore rigs

Drillfloor + mud pump room + accommodation block + CCR + helideck on offshore rigs. Equivalent topology on onshore rigs. The arc flash deliverable adjusts the calculation for jack-up / FPSO / fixed-platform earthing topology · see the offshore-specific challenges section below for the six distinguishing factors.

VB ENGINEERING APPROACH

Turnkey solution · data + design + install

We offer turnkey solutions for Arc Flash risk assessment · data collection, design and study, and label installation. ASTM-approved PPE selection per Arc Flash detection. NFPA 70E + IEEE 1584 + NEC compliant studies. Cross-referenced to Arc Flash Hazard identification at electrical network with distance and incident energy per IEEE 1584.

Bilingual labels · what your auditor sees on every panel

Same calculation. Two languages. One audit-ready label.

ADNOC operating-company specifications mandate bilingual Arabic-English labelling on every switchgear, MCC, and transformer. Below are two real labels from a VB Engineering deliverable. The English NFPA 70E format. The Arabic WARNING format. Same incident-energy data. Equal weight. Affixed under witness signature.

English NFPA 70E DANGER arc flash label · DOUBLE BREAK ISOLATOR_1 · 1627.85 cal per cm squared EN · NFPA 70E
DOUBLE BREAK ISOLATOR_1
1627.85 cal/cm² · Dangerous
Arabic WARNING arc flash label · BUS-600 KVAR APFC Panel · 4.33 cal per cm squared · ADNOC SAES format AR · ADNOC SAES
BUS-600 KVAR APFC
4.33 cal/cm² · Category 1

Print-ready. Site-installed. Witness-signed.

Every label carries: DANGER ARC FLASH HAZARD (English top, Arabic bottom · equal weight per ADNOC specification), ATPV cal/cm² value, arc flash boundary distance, restricted approach distance, PPE category, equipment ID, study date.

Labels are printed at our Hyderabad facility, shipped to UAE, installation supervised by our on-site team. Operator option to print locally with our master files. Five-year revalidation written into the AMC retainer.

Offshore Reality

Six offshore challenges. Not on any onshore study.

Offshore arc flash is not just "onshore arc flash · but on a platform." The physics, the standards, the work-practice, and the consequences all shift. Six challenges that distinguish an offshore deliverable from an onshore one.

CHALLENGE 1

Floating-platform earthing

FPSO and semi-submersible topsides do not have a true earth reference. The hull is the return path. IEEE 1584 Eg gap-distance parameters require offshore-specific adjustment. The calculation method is the same; the input data is fundamentally different.

CHALLENGE 2

Zone 0 / 1 / 2 hazardous area overlay

Drillfloor, wellbay, mud pump room, and process areas are classified Class I Div 1/2 (API RP 500) or Zone 0/1/2 (API RP 505). PPE selection now layers arc-rated (IEEE 1584) on top of Ex-rated (IEC 60079). The two protection systems must coexist on the same worker.

CHALLENGE 3

Salt-spray + ATPV degradation

Arc-rated coveralls degrade faster in offshore exposure. ATPV ratings drop with salt-spray + UV cycles. PPE replacement cycle on an FPSO is shorter than an onshore equivalent. The label-installation discipline accounts for this.

CHALLENGE 4

Helideck + lifeboat evacuation

An arc flash incident on an offshore platform may require helideck evacuation. The arc flash boundary marking includes the path from working position to lifeboat embarkation. The deliverable maps every working position to the nearest evacuation route, not just the boundary.

CHALLENGE 5

CCR + LQ + drillfloor coordination

The Centralised Control Room, Living Quarters, and Drillfloor sit on the same electrical distribution but have very different working-position risk profiles. The PPE category map differentiates per area. CCR operators may be PPE Cat 2; drillfloor workers in a Zone 1 area may need PPE Cat 4 plus Ex-rated overalls.

CHALLENGE 6

Emergency-generator + UPS coordination

Offshore platforms have main generation, essential-services generators, emergency generators, and battery UPS for ESD systems. The arc flash calculation runs scenarios for each generation mode. An offshore study without a black-start scenario is incomplete.

What you receive

Six deliverables. One Chartered Engineer signature.

An Arc Flash Study from VB Engineering is not a software report PDF. It is a documented engineering deliverable structured for HSE audit, insurer review, and procurement file. Every section signed CEng MIE FIE.

INCIDENT ENERGY
IEEE 1584-2018 Report
01

IEEE 1584-2018 Incident Energy Report

Incident energy at every working position calculated against IEEE 1584-2018 method (the 2002 method is retired in our practice). Arc flash boundary, restricted approach distance, PPE category per ATPV. Calculated in ETAP or DigSILENT, hand-verified at critical buses.

ETAPDigSILENTIEEE 1584-2018
DANGER
WARNING LABELS
Country-appropriate format
02

Bilingual Arabic-English Labels

Print-ready arc flash warning labels in bilingual format · English on top, Arabic below, both equal-weight per ADNOC operating-company specification. ATPV value, working distance, PPE category, equipment ID. Mounted on every switchgear, MCC, transformer.

Bilingual AR-ENADNOC spec
EX
CONFORMANCE MATRIX
Standard-mapped
03

SAES-E-005 Conformance Matrix

Section-by-section mapping of the study to the country dutyholder code clauses. Front-of-report submission template. Format pre-cleared with multiple ADNOC operating companies · auditors recognise the layout.

SAES-E-005Audit-ready
SLD RECONCILIATION
Field-verified · as-found
04

SLD Reconciled to As-Found

Single-line diagram verified against the as-installed equipment via supervised walkdown. Drift from legacy SLD logged. The calculation accuracy is constrained by SLD accuracy · we deliver both. Client engineer co-signs reconciliation.

As-found SLDClient-verified
WALKDOWN PACK
Per equipment
05

Walkdown + Field Data Pack

Nameplate verification, CT/PT ratio confirmation, breaker trip-unit settings, cable run measurements. Every equipment item photographed and tablet-logged. The basis-of-design archive that survives staff turnover.

Field-verifiedPhoto-documented
EXEC + ACTIONS
Signed deliverable
06

Executive Summary + Action Register

2-page executive summary for HSE Head sign-off. Action register with categories (engineering control, PPE upgrade, procedure change, training), priority ranking, responsible discipline, target dates. The format your HSE auditor reads first.

Exec-readyAction tracker
The Workflow

Seven engineering steps. Six to eight weeks.

The Arc Flash Study workflow is methodical, technical, and signed at every gate. We are not delivering a PDF · we are delivering an engineering audit trail.

STEP 01

Site walkdown + as-found verification

Physical walkdown of every switchgear, MCC, transformer. Nameplate verification, CT/PT ratio confirmation, breaker trip-unit settings logged on tablet. Legacy SLD reconciled to field. Drift documented per equipment. Client engineer accompanies walkdown.

2-3 days siteSenior Engineer led
STEP 01
Site walkdown · as-found verification
STEP 02

SLD reconciliation + client sign-off

Walkdown data plotted against the client SLD. Every drift logged. Client engineer co-signs the reconciled SLD before any calculation begins. This is the input-layer discipline that decides accuracy of every downstream number.

3-5 days deskClient co-signed
STEP 02
SLD reconciliation · client co-sign
STEP 03

System modelling in ETAP or DigSILENT

Software model built from verified as-found data. Source impedances, transformer parameters, cable lengths and impedances, motor contributions, generator data. Every bus identified, every protective device modelled. IEC 60909 fault calculations cross-validated by hand at critical buses.

1-2 weeksETAP / DigSILENT
cal/cm²8.2
STEP 03
System modelling · ETAP / DigSILENT
STEP 04

IEEE 1584-2018 incident energy calculation

Incident energy at every working position. Arc flash boundary distance. PPE category per ATPV value. Where incident energy exceeds 40 cal/cm², the work practice recommendation is "energised work prohibited" · documented in the report with engineering control alternatives.

1 weekIEEE 1584-2018
cal/cm²8.2
STEP 04
IEEE 1584-2018 incident energy
STEP 05

Bilingual label production

Print-ready bilingual Arabic-English labels generated per equipment. English NFPA 70E format on top, Arabic ADNOC-spec format below, equal weight. ATPV, boundary, PPE category, equipment ID, study date. Print at Hyderabad · ship to UAE · install under witness signature.

2 weeksEN + AR
DANGER
STEP 05
Label production · country format
STEP 06

Site installation + operator handover briefing

Arc flash warning labels (NFPA 70E format with ATPV cal/cm² value, arc flash boundary distance, restricted approach, PPE category, equipment ID) affixed at every switchgear, MCC, transformer. on-site team supervises installation in coordinated outage windows. Witness signature per label. Operator handover briefing delivered the same day so the workforce understands every label before energising work resumes.

1-2 weeksOperator handover
STEP 06
Site install + operator handover
STEP 07

Final report + Chartered Engineer signature

Signed engineering deliverable. SAES-E-005 conformance matrix front-of-report. Executive summary + action register. CEng MIE FIE signature on every section. Audit-ready, insurer-ready, ADNOC HSE-ready. Optional 5-year AMC retainer offered for recurring compliance.

1 weekCEng MIE FIE
STEP 07
Final report + CEng signature
The Proof

Field-installed. Not just calculated.

Two photographs from VB Engineering field installations. The physical proof that an Arc Flash Study from us does not end at a PDF report.

EX
PROOF · Zone Boundary
Arc Flash Boundary

Tiger-stripe boundary at 33 kV outdoor substation

Where incident energy demands a physical demarcation, we paint the boundary. Yellow and black tiger stripes at the cable pit perimeter define the energised work restricted-approach distance. No calculation in a PDF replaces this.

DANGER
PROOF · Installed Label
Installed Label

Engineered label installed on HVAC VIVARIUM LAB 1600A

7.1 cal/cm² calculated. PPE Category 2 recommended. Arc flash boundary noted at 12 inches. Shock-hazard restricted-approach distance noted. Installed and witness-signed. The form the auditor opens the door and reads.

UAE Engagements

Three offshore engagements. FPSO + jack-up + fixed platform.

Three landmark offshore arc flash deliveries · one FPSO in the North Sea, one jack-up rig in the Middle East, one fixed production platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Each differs in class society (Class Society / Class Society / BSEE), platform type (floating / jack-up / fixed), and process voltage. Each tackles a distinct offshore challenge. Below:

Landmark industrial facility · the region
Topsides · 11 kV main · 6.6 kV process · 690 V utility · 36 MW gen

Marine Class Society RP-D102 + Class Society dutyholder review on a 36 MW topsides FPSO. Walkdown of CCR + LQ + Module 4 (process) + Module 7 (gas compression) + drillfloor wellbay. Protection coordination across 7 incomers. Arc flash recalc per IEEE 1584-2018 with floating-platform earthing adjustment. English NFPA 70E DANGER labels installed on Modules + LQ + lifeboat embarkation paths during planned shutdown. Reduced average incident energy at the 690 V LV switchboard by 41%.

Outcome
Marine Class Society RP-D102 dutyholder review passed. Class society classification renewed. Labels installed across the topsides + LQ + drillfloor + helideck during planned shutdown. Crew briefings delivered before re-energisation. Class I Div 1 wellbay PPE storage layout updated.
41%
Incident energy ↓
11 kV
Main intake
8
Weeks delivery
Marquee industrial facility · the region
Drillfloor · 11 kV main · 6.6 kV process · 24 MW gen · mud pump room Zone 1

Class society classification renewal on a jack-up drilling rig. Walkdown of drillfloor + mud pump room (Zone 1) + accommodation block + CCR. Arc flash calc adjusted for jack-up earthing topology. Bilingual Arabic-English labels supervised by Dubai team during planned mob between drilling campaigns. PPE category map provided to rig safety officer · differentiates drillfloor (Class I Div 1) from accommodation block (general purpose).

Outcome
Class society classification renewed. PPE storage layout updated. Crew handover briefing delivered in EN + AR. Mud pump room Zone 1 boundary repainted with tiger-stripe marking.
Zone 1
Mud pump room
6.6 kV
Process
6
Weeks delivery
Prominent industrial facility · the region
Fixed platform · 4.16 kV main · 480 V distribution · 18 MW gen · API RP 14F

BSEE NTL 2009-G19 incident response on a fixed production platform. Post-modification recalculation following a 4.16 kV switchgear upgrade. API RP 14F + API RP 500 hazardous area classification re-verified across topsides. English NFPA 70E labels installed at all topside working positions. Operator HSE handover briefing delivered to platform manager + electrical maintenance lead + drillfloor supervisor.

Outcome
BSEE remediation closed. API RP 14F conformance evidence packaged. PSM compliance updated. 5-year AMC retainer signed for continuous compliance per BSEE NTL cycle.
4.16 kV
Main intake
Class I Div
API RP 500
7
Weeks delivery
Selected operators · 1,000+ studies · 21 countries
Buyer Questions

Procurement and engineering questions, answered.

Which arc flash standard applies to offshore oil and gas rigs?
Four standards layered: Marine Class Society RP-D102 (North Sea, EU), IEC 60092 (marine electrical installations), IEEE 1584-2018 (the calculation method), and NFPA 70E 2024 (work-practice rules cross-referenced by Class Society and BSEE). Where the rig is classified by Class Society, Class Society guidance documents apply additionally.
How does an arc flash study on an FPSO differ from a fixed platform?
Floating-platform earthing requires adjustment to the IEEE 1584 calculation methodology. The Eg (gap distance) parameters differ. Cable run measurements account for vessel motion. The ATPV rating selection accounts for offshore weather exposure plus arc flash hazard.
Can the study be done without taking the rig out of production?
Yes, partially. Walkdown, data collection, and software modelling phases run during normal operations. Label installation requires brief access to each equipment item (5-10 minutes) coordinated with the rig safety officer, typically during planned maintenance windows.
Does VB Engineering work to class society offshore rules?
Class Society: VB engineers have delivered Marine Class Society RP-D102 compliant studies on North Sea assets. Class Society: VB engineers have delivered Class Society-aligned studies on Gulf of Mexico and Middle East rigs. Both pre-qualifications are tracked per operator and per scope; current status provided on request before tender submission.
What is the typical timeline for an offshore arc flash study?
Six weeks for a jack-up rig with single 11 kV main intake. Eight weeks for an FPSO with 36 MW generation capacity and 690V process distribution. Seven weeks for a Gulf of Mexico production platform. Multi-train operating-company complexes can extend to 12-14 weeks.
Which standards apply to FPSO arc flash specifically?
Five layered standards. API RP 14F and API RP 14FZ for the petroleum-industry design rules. Marine Class Society RP-D102 (North Sea, EU) or Class Society Guide for FPSO + MODU (US, Asia) for the class society rules. IEC 61892 series for the underlying marine electrical IEC framework. IMO SOLAS Chapter II-1 for safety-of-life-at-sea compliance. IEEE 1584-2018 for the underlying calculation, with floating-platform Eg parameter adjustment. NFPA 70E 2024 for work-practice.
How do Class I Div 1 / Div 2 zones interact with arc flash PPE?
They layer. Arc-rated PPE protects against thermal energy from an arc flash event. Ex-rated equipment protects against ignition in a Class I Div / Zone 0/1/2 atmosphere. In a wellbay or mud pump room (typical Class I Div 1 or Zone 1), the worker needs both: arc-rated coveralls per IEEE 1584 PPE category AND Ex-rated tools, lights, and instruments per IEC 60079 group classification. The arc flash deliverable specifies both layers per working position.
Does the arc flash study include helideck and lifeboat evacuation routes?
Yes. An arc flash incident on an offshore platform may require helideck evacuation. The deliverable maps every working position to the nearest evacuation route, including arc flash boundary distances on the evacuation path. The lifeboat embarkation deck arc flash boundary is documented. The CCR backup-comms position is studied for incident energy under fault scenarios. This is not in scope on an onshore study.
Which rig types does VB Engineering deliver arc flash studies for?
All 11 upstream rig variants. Jack-up drilling rigs. Drillships. Semi-submersible drilling units. Spar platforms. Tension leg platforms (TLP). Fixed production platforms (steel jacket). Compliant towers. FPSOs. FSOs. FLNG units. Mobile offshore drilling units (MODU). And onshore land rigs. The calculation methodology adjusts per rig topology, the standards layer per rig class, the PPE selection per Zone classification.

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