December 16, 2010 by offshoreenergy
BOE applauds retired offshore regulators Ian Whewell (UK HSE) and John Clegg (NOPSA Australia) for their excellent participation in yesterday’s hearings. No one is wiser than a retired regulator. đ
Also, Magne Ognedal overcame technical glitches to make an important long-distance contribution from Norway. Â Those who have not yet read our interview with Magne should take the time to do so. Â In this interview, which was conducted before Macondo, Magne concisely answers most of the questions about the Norwegian regime and regulatory philosophy that have arisen since the blowout.
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged blowout, chemical safety board, HSE, Ian Whewell, John Clegg, macondo, Magne Ognedal, NOPSA, oil spill, PSA | Leave a Comment »
December 15, 2010 by offshoreenergy
In addition to suing for damages, the Justice Department is seeking civil penalties. Â The amount has not been specified.
In the complaint, the United States alleges violations of federal safety and operational regulations, including:
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Failure to take necessary precautions to secure the Macondo Well prior to the April 20th explosion;
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Failure to utilize the safest drilling technology to monitor the wellâs condition;
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Failure to maintain continuous surveillance of the well; and
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Failure to utilize and maintain equipment and materials that were available and necessary to ensure the safety and protection of personnel, property, natural resources, and the environment.
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged accidents, blowouts, Deepwater Horizon, DOJ, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, macondo, oil spill, safety, well control | Leave a Comment »
December 15, 2010 by offshoreenergy
President-elect Dilma joked recently that the oil discoveries were just the latest proof that God is Brazilian. And economists from Goldman Sachs no less are predicting that Brazil — along with Russia, China and India — will dominate the world economy in the 21st century.
If you didn’t see the 60 Minutes story on Brazil, you can view it here. With regard to the significance of Brazil’s recent deepwater discoveries, OGX owner Eike Batista offered the following:
Oh, it, it means we should be producing in excess of six million barrels a day. So it’ll put us in among the third, fourth largest producer in the world. Massive exporting.
According to this blog entry, Batista forecasts this 6 million bopd production rate (more than double the current output) by 2020!
Like other offshore producers, Brazil has experienced its tragedies, most notably the sinking of the P-36 production platform that resulted in 11 fatalities. Petrobras and Brazil have recovered nicely from that disaster, but outstanding safety performance is critical if they are to sustain their offshore success.
Posted in accidents, Offshore Energy - General, oil | Tagged Brazil, offshore oil, P36, safety | Leave a Comment »
December 14, 2010 by offshoreenergy
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged accidents, blowouts, chemical safety board, Deepwater Horizon, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, macondo, offshore oil, oil spill, safety, well control | Leave a Comment »
December 14, 2010 by offshoreenergy
This is a very good column that we are posting with the permission of Gary Gentile, Platts Oilgram.
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged accidents, blowouts, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, INPO, macondo, offshore oil, Platts, safety, well control | Leave a Comment »
December 13, 2010 by offshoreenergy
1. Gulf Oil Spill
2. FIFA World Cup
3. Inception
4. Haiti Earthquake
5. Vuvuzela
6. Apple iPad
7. Google Android
8. Justin Bieber
9. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
10. Pulpo Paul
Pre-Macondo poll numbers I would like to have seen:
- Percentage of adult Americans (outside of the Gulf Region) who knew there was offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Â Based on conversations I’ve had with people in the DC area, I’m guessing less than 50%. I know that sounds astounding, but that’s my guess.
- Percentage of adult Americans who had heard of the Minerals Management Service (probably less than 2%) and knew that the MMSÂ had regulatory responsibilities for offshore oil and gas operations (had to be less than 1%).
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged Gulf of Mexico, macondo, MMS, offshore oil, twitter | Leave a Comment »
December 13, 2010 by offshoreenergy
Based on the chart above, I think we can now safely declare that the 2010 hurricane season is over. While the threat of tropical storms posed some problems for the Macondo response, the Gulf of Mexico was spared any significant damage or suspensions of production.
During the post-Macondo discussion about safety and regulatory issues, not much has been said about the major disruptions caused by Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike, and the attention and resources that have been dedicated to hurricane issues for the past five years. Major advances have been made in mooring capabilities and assessments, design standards, securing topsides equipment, and other aspects of hurricane preparedness.
How much did hurricane issues affect the assessment and management of other operating risks? This question may merit further attention.
Mars TLP took a direct hit from Hurricane Katina with sustained winds >150 mph
Posted in Offshore Energy - General | Tagged Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, macondo, offshore oil, safety | Leave a Comment »
December 11, 2010 by offshoreenergy
Shell has agreed to transport its used drilling fluids from Beaufort Sea exploration drilling out of the Arctic if the company finally gets government permission to drill a well next summer. Alaska Journal of Commerce
I assume this includes all drilling fluids and drilled solids (cuttings) except for the spud mud and cuttings generated prior to installing the riser? Â If so, I believe this will be a first for an exploratory well drilled from a floating rig in US offshore waters.
Posted in Alaska, offshore, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged Alaska, Beaufort, cuttings, drilled solids, drilling fluids, muds, offshore, offshore oil, Shell | Leave a Comment »
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Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 