This document specifies requirements and provides recommendations and guidance for the design, construction, transportation, installation and decommissioning of offshore structures related to the activities of the petroleum and natural gas industries in arctic and cold regions. Reference to arctic and cold regions in this document is deemed to include both the Arctic and other locations characterized by low ambient temperatures and the presence or possibility of sea ice, icebergs, icing conditions, persistent snow cover, and/or permafrost.

The objective of this document is to ensure that complete structures, including substructures, topsides structures, floating production vessel hulls, foundations and mooring systems, in arctic and cold regions provide an appropriate level of reliability with respect to personnel safety, environmental protection and asset value. Value includes value to the owner, to the industry and to society in general.

This document does not contain requirements for the operation, maintenance, service-life inspection or repair of arctic and cold region offshore structures, unless the design strategy imposes specific requirements such as ice management (IM) to reduce ice actions.

Provisions for the operation, maintenance, servicelife inspection and repair of mobile units are given in ISO 19905-1 and ISO 19905-3, supplemented by the provisions relating to ice actions and IM in this document.

This document does not apply to mechanical, process and electrical equipment or any specialized process equipment associated with arctic and cold region offshore operations except in so far as it is necessary for the structure to sustain safely the actions imposed by the installation, housing and operation of such equipment. This document applies to equipment used for the positioning and disconnection of floating structures (see Clause 13).