ISO 13703

Covers — design and installation of new topside process piping on offshore production platforms: sizing (including erosional-velocity limits), material selection, layout and installation, and safety considerations for offshore service.

Does NOT cover (exclusions) — the following are governed elsewhere:

• Baseline pressure design and stress analysis → ASME B31.3 (which it builds on).
• Subsea/submarine pipelines → DNV-ST-F101 / ISO 13623.
• The essentially equivalent API recommended practice → API RP 14E.

ISO 13703 covers offshore topside process piping; subsea pipelines and general plant piping fall under other codes.

ISO 13703 sets requirements for offshore topside piping:

• Sizing — line sizing including the erosional-velocity criterion for solids/erosive service.
• Materials — selection for offshore corrosive and sour conditions.
• Layout & Installation — arrangement addressing space, weight, and safety access.
• Safety — provisions for safety-critical piping in the platform context.

ISO 13703 provides the ISO framework for designing and installing topside process piping on offshore production platforms — closely aligned with API RP 14E. It builds on ASME B31.3 for pressure design and stress analysis, then adds the offshore-specific concerns of space, weight, corrosive/sour service, and safety-critical layout.

A hallmark requirement is line sizing against the erosional-velocity criterion, important for the solids-bearing, high-velocity flows common offshore. Subsea pipelines are governed instead by DNV-ST-F101/ISO 13623.

Engineering Note: Apply the erosional-velocity limit alongside B31.3 pressure design — sizing offshore lines on pressure/thickness alone can leave velocities high enough to erode fittings, a frequent cause of offshore piping failures.