The facility design case (FDC) is aimed at innovative or non-standard petroleum developments. The operator must decide whether an FDC is appropriate for their proposed facility by considering whether it:

• will use new technology, new applications for existing technology, new materials, new types of plant
• will use new operating philosophies or safety management systems e.g. minimum manning, remote monitoring, data gathering and analysis, or artificial intelligence
• is a new facility that differs in design, technology or complexity compared to operator’s existing facilities
• has complex, multi-stage field development plans
• is an existing facility where material changes may introduce hazards and risks.

The FDC is not intended for petroleum facilities of ‘conventional’ design, where the operator and regulator can be confident that the hazards and risks are clearly understood, and can be managed effectively by adopting well-established safety solutions. An example of a conventional design solution is a floating production storage and offloading unit for an oil development in moderate water depths.

The preparation and submission of an FDC to the regulator gives the operator an opportunity to:

• provide the regulator with an overview of the proposed new design for a facility or operation for review and discussion
• provide information on the process used to select the new design or new plant or technology, and the reason for negating other design or equipment options
• provide information on the process used to select control measures for eliminating or reducing risk and to demonstrate that the risks have been reduced so far as is reasonably practicable (SFAIRP)
• at a later time, develop a safety case for the facility which takes comments received from the regulator regarding the proposed design into account.

Further information

• Petroleum and geothermal energy operations interpretive guidelines
  These interpretive guidelines will assist onshore and offshore petroleum, pipeline and geothermal energy operators in the development and submission of a safety case.
• Petroleum and geothermal energy operations guides
  Guides to support and assist onshore and offshore petroleum, pipeline and geothermal energy operators to meet their commitments under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and Work Health and Safety (Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Operations) Regulations 2022.
• Human factors for major hazard facility, petroleum and geothermal energy operations information sheets