scope:

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

IADC Advanced Rig Technology Alarm Task Force Mission Statement: There generally is an agreement in the drilling community that the range of offerings for drilling control system (DCS) alarming, drilling instrumentation systems for monitoring and alarm, and more simplistic combination of alarm-annunciated lights and horns have variability in how they meet process-alarm standards such as YA-711¹ or ISA 18.2². The following guidelines were written for system suppliers and drilling contractors to improve alarm treatment as defined by role. Specifically, the group reviewed existing protocol standards for alarm management. In this review, emphasis was placed on: role, alarm message, equipment origin, alarm meaning, priority, action and/or resolution. The objective is to identify the methodology for applying these alarm guidelines to an advanced drilling control alarm system (DCAS), and to provide guidance for installations with less instrumentation, but employing annunciated lights and horns.

These guidelines do not define control system design, but focus on:

• Understanding applicable standards

• Concept of alarm philosophy for rig owners

• Relevant roles exposed to DCS alarm systems

• Types of alarms and how roles are interfacing with them

• Rationalization of alarms

• Real time use of alarms

• Management of change

It is important to recognize that these are guidelines. As a result this document does not have any requirements and does not include any "shall," "must" and "will" statements.

These guidelines use the following normative language:

• Should / should not: indicates a recommendation

• May / need not: indicates permission

• Can / cannot: indicates ability or inability

¹ "Principles for Alarm Management", Norwegian Petroleum Directorate YA-711, February 2001.

² "Management of Alarm Systems for Process Industries", ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009.