ISDS Breakthrough with American Drilling Contractors

DNV and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a contract for the classification of a semisubmersible according to DNV’s standard for Integrated Software Dependent Systems (ISDS).

The vessel will be owned by the US company Diamond Offshore Drilling Ltd (DODL). This is the first project for an American owner and a breakthrough for ISDS, which has previously been applied by Norwegian owners.

DNV is involved in several projects at Korean yards for Norwegian clients, which are building in accordance with ISDS rules. This contract with an US owner shows the increasing recognition of the need for improved software dependability in the offshore industry. It also demonstrates the willingness of shipyards and equipment vendors to improve the quality of deliveries to customers. The objective of ISDS is to ensure that software and integration problems are detected and resolved early in the project design stage, rather than during commissioning and acceptance testing.

ISDS represents a new way of thinking about verification for the offshore industry. Instead of focusing on the final review of documents and installations to ensure they meet product requirements, ISDS emphasises a review of the working methods and processes that lead to the delivery of complex products, such as software, where complete verification of the final product is nearly impossible.

The team leading the implementation of these ISDS projects is part of the Systems and Safety Department of DNV’s Approval Centre East Asia (ACEA) in Busan, South Korea.

DNV, September 30, 2013