Posted in accidents, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, tagged BSEE, Globetrotter II, Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Ida, Noble, Shell on May 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
BOE was troubled by this incident and the contractor’s statements that followed.
BSEE has posted a strong safety alert.
The BSEE investigation concluded that the operator and contractor representatives failed to promptly start the Temporary Abandonment (TA) procedures.
BSEE’s investigation report provides complete details on the incident.
Posted in accidents, decommissioning, energy policy, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged 2020 offshore fatalities, Beta Unit pipeline, Globetrotter II, Hogan and Houchin, Huntington Beach, Khamsin, Lease Sale 257, offshore production, Russell Peterson on January 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, tagged Globetrotter II, Hurricane Ida, Noble, safety culture on September 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »
| Noble’s Aug. 29 statement | Noble’s Sept. 2 statement |
| “Each rig successfully secured its respective well in progress and took evasive actions to avoid the storm’s path.” (No mention of the delay in relocating the Globetrotter II or the rig, riser, and LMRP damage already reported on social media.) | “several riser joints and the lower marine riser package separated from the rig during the storm and sank to the seabed.” (Confirms social media reports.) |
| “All personnel are safe and accounted for.” (No mention of the injuries alluded to in social media reports.) | “A small number of crew members were treated for minor injuries.” (The actual number was 9, i.e. not a small number, 4 of whom had to be transported to shore for further evaluation.) |
| “One of the ship’s cofferdams in the moonpool area sustained damage.” (Update: The storm broke part of the hull, which allowed water into some compartments. Per the ship’s master, the vessel was not in distress and not actively taking on water.) | |
In a proper safety culture, you don’t downplay serious incidents and you never declare victory. Spin control is for politicians, not safety leaders. The Globetrotter II, with 140 workers aboard, was slammed by a major hurricane, perhaps unnecessarily. After the frightening social media reports, Noble released an “all is well” statement that minimized the significance and potential consequences of the delayed rig relocation. Noble continued to downplay the incident when they update their statement 5 days later.
The Coast Guard and BSEE will be investigating the Globetrotter II relocation, and their findings will be of great interest. Noble has historically been a very good drilling contractor with a strong commitment to safe operations. Hopefully, they and others will learn and apply lessons from this and similar events that have occurred in the Gulf and elsewhere. Companies may also want to assess the compatibility of their messaging practices with their commitment to a robust safety culture and continuous improvement.
Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged Globetrotter II, Hurricane Ida, production on August 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »
As expected, BSEE’s 8/30 update indicates that the shut-in production volumes remain about the same. The process of inspecting facilities, returning workers (some of whom may be dealing with damage and other challenges at home), and restoring production will take some time.
Other than the sketchy reports about the Globetrotter II, there is no information on Ida-related offshore incidents at this time. .
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 