July 11, 2011 by offshoreenergy
If someone had asked me a few years ago what the highest risk offshore system was, I certainly would not have said a fully cased well in the process of being suspended. Yet that was the scenario for both of the recent mega-incidents, Montara and Macondo.
I would have instead suggested that dynamic production risers were the highest risk offshore system. The combination of relatively new technology, movement, fatigue potential, exposure in the splash zone, and continuous hydrocarbon flow poses risks that must be carefully managed. That is why investigations of incidents like the Visund gas leak are so important. In that regard, PSA does an excellent job and prominently posts all of their reports so that we all may benefit. I recommend that you take a look at this one.
In connection with the planned shutdown on Visund on 9 April 2011, a hydrocarbon leak occurred from well A21’s 6” flexible riser UK-18-0009. The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has carried out an investigation of certain aspects of the incident.
We have identified three nonconformities within the areas of establishment and follow-up of preconditions for safe operation of dynamic risers, training and expertise and governing documentation.
Posted in accidents | Tagged accidents, gas lieak, Norway, offshore, PSA, safety, Visund | 1 Comment »
July 8, 2011 by offshoreenergy
The Commonwealth of Virginia, home of BOE headquarters, continues to provide national leadership on energy issues, most notably offshore oil and gas exploration. The Governor (Republican), both US Senators (Democrats), and both candidates for the US Senate support offshore leasing.
“Opening up and expanding Virginia’s offshore resources to responsible natural gas and oil exploration holds significant promise for boosting needed domestic energy production while bolstering the commonwealth’s economy.” Quote from Senator Jim Webb in the Richmond Times Dispatch
Posted in drilling, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged offshore drilling, Virginia | Leave a Comment »
July 8, 2011 by offshoreenergy
From the West Australian:
A new system to regulate the offshore gas and oil industry – a direct response to the 2009 Montara north of the Kimberley – has been approved by the Federal Parliament’s lower house.
Under the changes, the seven state and territory authorities will be replaced by a single Commonwealth body, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
It will regulate all safety issues from exploration to well decommissioning.
In the US, the jurisdictional conflicts (offshore) differ in that they typically involve multiple Federal regulators with overlapping jurisdiction and different priorities. Since most of the necessary streamlining would only involve Federal agencies, one would think that regulatory reform would be achievable, especially after a major blowout that killed eleven. Unfortunately, meaningful US reform appears to be highly unlikely.
Posted in accidents | Tagged accidents, Australia, blowouts, Montara, NOPSA, safety, well control | Leave a Comment »
July 7, 2011 by offshoreenergy
From Bloomberg.com:
A force majeure notice was delivered to the government of Ghana and Ghana National Petroleum Corp. after an anchor- handling accident damaged the rig, Dallas-based Kosmos said today in a statement. The Marianas was scheduled to arrive July 10 for drilling, Kosmos said.
Kosmos said it anticipates that either the Marianas or a substitute rig will be “available soon” to drill the Cedrela-1 well in the West Cape Three Points Block. Transocean, based in Vernier, Switzerland, reported yesterday it evacuated 108 of 121 workers on the rig after it took on water while preparing to leave an Eni SpA drilling site off Ghana.
The market for deep-water rigs in that part of the world is so tight that Kosmos will likely have to wait at least a month for a comparable drilling vessel, said Brian Uhlmer, an analyst at Global Hunter Securities in Houston. Moving an unused rig from the Gulf of Mexico could take about 45 days.
Posted in accidents, drilling, offshore | Tagged anchor handling, Ghane, Kosmos, list, Transocean Marianas | Leave a Comment »
July 7, 2011 by offshoreenergy
- Will Transocean be releasing any details on yesterday’s “water ingress?” Will the results of their internal investigation ever be made public? (We are still waiting for their report on the fatal crane incident last August offshore Nigeria.)
- Will an independent investigation be conducted? Will the authorities in Ghana participate?
- Did the damage that the Marianas incurred during Hurricane Ike (2008) or Tropical Storm Ida (2009) in any way contribute to yesterday’s apparent structural failure?
- When will we have an international system that ensures (a) prompt, independent, and complete investigations of all significant accidents, and (b) the timely release of findings?
Posted in accidents, drilling, offshore | Tagged accidents, evacuation, Ghana, list, Transocean Marianas | 1 Comment »
July 6, 2011 by offshoreenergy
Per Platts:
Deepwater driller Transocean confirmed that its semisubmersible rig Transocean Marianas operating off the coast of West Africa had taken on water early Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of some crew members. “A water ingress was noticed onboard the Transocean Marianas during operations offshore Ghana” for Italian major Eni, Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell said. “The rig is stable at this time. There are no injuries, and all non-essential personnel are being evacuated.”
Posted in accidents, drilling, offshore | Tagged evacuation, Ghana, list, Transocean Marianas | Leave a Comment »
July 6, 2011 by offshoreenergy
Per information provided by one of our readers (see comment on the original Marianas post), the rig was in transit offshore Ghana, west of Takoradi. This report indicates that “they have got control over the list at the moment.”
Posted in accidents, drilling | Tagged accidents, Ghana, list, safety, Transocean Marianas | Leave a Comment »
July 6, 2011 by offshoreenergy
This information is unconfirmed but the source is highly reputable:
We just received word this morning that the Transocean Marianas rig has developed a large crack in one of the pontoons on the #5/#6 anchor chain locker while they were picking up anchors, and is currently taking on water and listing. The bilge pumps are keeping up (barely), but there’s certainly concern that it might sink on location. So far, 68 people have been evacuated from location.
According to RigZone, the Marianas was working offshore Nigeria. [Per one of our readers, (see comment below) Petrodata shows the rig operating offshore Ghana.]
More: The Marianas, spudded the Macondo in October, 2009, but was damaged by Hurricane Ida and towed to shore. The Deepwater Horizon was the rig that replaced the Marianas.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accidents, crack, drilling, evacuation, Nigeria, offshore drilling, safety, sinking, Transocean Marianas | 10 Comments »
July 2, 2011 by offshoreenergy
On Independence Day, four keys to realizing our offshore energy potential:
- A national offshore oil and gas program as required by the OCS Lands Act.
- Industry safety and pollution prevention leadership including comprehensive data analyses, research, standards development, management programs, and internal auditing. All operators, contractors, and service companies must participate.
- An efficient, risk-based regulatory program that scrutinizes performance, indentifies weaknesses, and demands excellence.
- Cooperative programs to develop cost-effective, reliable, and safe wind and hydrokinetic energy systems.
Posted in Offshore Energy - General | Tagged energy independence, Fourth of July, hydrokinetic energy, offshore energy, offshore oil and gas, Offshore Wind | Leave a Comment »
July 2, 2011 by offshoreenergy
I thought this Platts Oilgram News report was interesting given PTT’s objection to Indonesia’s claim for damages from PTT’s Montara blowout:
Thai energy authorities are pointing fingers at South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries for causing damage to one of its offshore pipelines that slashed natural gas supplies to the kingdom by 14%. State-controlled oil and gas company PTT is also planning to seek hefty compensation claims from Hyundai Heavy as well as from Diphaya Insurance, the Thai state-owned insurance firm, which provides coverage for the company’s works, a senior PTT executive said June 30.
Posted in accidents | Tagged Indonesia, Montara, pipeline rupture, PTT | Leave a Comment »
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Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 