Old ammunition, also called unexploded ordnance (UXO), remains a threat during the installation of offshore pipelines. If UXO detection and clearance activities are executed erroneously, managed poorly or even overall omitted, UXO threaten the lives of construction workers, the construction schedule, marine fauna and the public image of the involved parties. The increase in knowledge about potential impacts of offshore UXO has created an urge to address the challenge on a strategic level. Therefore, a “Quality Guideline for Offshore UXO Treatment” was developed and a testing procedure for UXO detection technologies was designed. This paper outlines how these results were generated and presents selected results.

The development of the quality guideline was driven by high stakeholder involvement. The document addresses the four phases (I) desk based Pre-Investigation, (II) Technical Investigation, (III) Investigation of Suspected UXO Sites and (IV) Clearance and Disposal. For each of the four phases a detailed process work flow was identified. The processes are characterized by the requirements and responsibilities of the involved actors. For the testing concept, the requirements for successful application of UXO detection technologies were further scrutinized by identifying parameters, that are critical to their performance. This included both technical parameters and environmental parameters. Based on this, test design specifications were determined.