On 9 November 2010, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) conducted an audit of BP Norge’s follow-up of new work processes within drilling and well activities using information and communication technology (ICT)
Posts Tagged ‘safety’
PSA Reports on BP Audit
Posted in Norway, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged bp, Norway, offshore oil, PSA, safety on January 29, 2011| 2 Comments »
BOP Frustration on Capitol Hill
Posted in accidents, well control incidents, tagged accidents, blowouts, Deepwater Horizon, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, House Natural Resources Committee, macondo, National Commission, offshore oil, oil spill, safety, well control on January 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »
While thunder-snow created a surreal setting outside, the scene was rather predictable inside as the National Commission co-chairs testified before the House Natural Resource Committee. Members acknowledged the Commission’s service, questioned qualifications, expressed frustration with the “permitorium,” raised concerns about our economic and energy future, and disputed the conclusion that “systemic industry failures” contributed to the disaster. Others suggested that Macondo safety issues had not been resolved, that the risks associated with offshore drilling were not being managed properly, and that everyone else in the world regulates offshore operations more effectively than the US (or at least their disasters have been less recent).
Putting all that aside, I was pleased by the interest of the members in the BOP failure. They seem to share our frustration with the delays in the BOP examination/testing/forensics/autopsy. Perhaps the Committee can determine the status of this very important aspect of the investigation, and provide a summary of what has happened since the stack was recovered and what work remains to be accomplished. That would seem to be a reasonable request.
Smoked Salmon and OCS Facilities
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged accidents, Deepwater Horizon, offshore oil, President Obama, safety, salmon, Senate Energy and Natural Resources, State of the Union on January 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
From the State of the Union address:
The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked. President Obama
While this comment drew laughs from the audience, the regulation of salmon is rather straightforward compared to the extraordinarily complex regulatory regime for offshore facilities and pipelines. The first and most important recommendation in my testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last May was as follows:
Streamline the OCS regulatory regime to minimize the potential for gaps, overlap, and confusion. Because of the complexity of the OCS regime, regulatory and industry personnel spend too much time resolving and coordinating administrative and procedural matters. This time would be better spent focusing on mission critical safety issues. A single agency should be responsible and accountable for safety and pollution prevention at offshore facilities, and should draw on the expertise of other agencies and organizations as necessary to achieve performance objectives.
If we are to achieve our safety, pollution prevention, efficiency, and energy production objectives, the OCS regulatory regime must be consolidated and simplified.
National Commission Co-Chairs Testimony Today
Posted in accidents, well control incidents, tagged accidents, blowouts, Deepwater Horizon, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, macondo, offshore oil, oil spill, safety, well control on January 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Bob Graham and William Reilly will testify.
Schedule (Eastern Time):
0930 – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – live streaming
1400 – House Natural Resources Committee – broadcast live on C-SPAN3
The questioning should be pretty lively, especially at the House hearing.
Montara Development Moving Ahead
Posted in accidents, well control incidents, tagged Australia, blowouts, Montara, offshore oil, oil spill, PTTEP, safety, well control on January 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Montara Blowout - Timor Sea
SapuraAcergy’s scope under the contract involves the engineering, procurement, load out, transportation and construction activities for the removal and disposal of the existing topside and the transportation and installation of new pipelines, risers, umbilicals, spools, manifolds, FPSO mooring systems and a new replacement topside, all of which to be undertaken at PTTEPAA’s Montara Development Project in water depths of approximately 80 metres. Dow Jones
The work will be performed in 2011.
Comment: What about the Australian government’s commitment to review PTTEP’s license?
Step Change in Safety: Human Factors Report
Posted in accidents, tagged human factors, offshore, offshore workers, safety, Step Change in Safety on January 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Step Change in Safety, a UK partnership committed to offshore safety achievement, has published an interesting human factors report. The report, which was brought to my attention by Melinda Mayes, includes 12 one-page case studies of offshore incidents with commentary on how human factors played a role.
I suspect that many of you can relate to “Case Study 3,” which begins as follow:
After going through a difficult downsizing a company decided to restrict recruitment and personnel moves, in an attempt to avoid painful redundancies in the future.
At the time there was great demand for personnel in the oil and gas market. One installation lost a number of its operational leadership to another company. For a while the installation managed. It was able to maintain its minimum manning levels, and less experienced personnel were asked to step-up into leadership positions. The Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) and offshore engineer began micro-managing work on the installation.
After reading the report, you may want to take a look at the comments posted at the Step Change site. These comments illustrate another human factor – differences in opinion!
Report on Newfoundland helicopter crash to be released on 9 February
Posted in accidents, tagged accidents, Canada, helicopter crash, Newfoundland, offshore oil, Robert Wells, safety on January 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will hold a news conference on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 to make public the final TSB investigation report (A09A0016) into the crash of a Cougar Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A off the coast of Newfoundland on March 12, 2009.
Thursday Morning Items
Posted in accidents, cuba, well control incidents, tagged accidents, Apache, blowouts, cuba, gas leak, Gulf of Mexico, National Commission, safety, well control, William Reilly on January 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »
1. This is a surprise. Does anyone know more about this conference?
U.S. experts will participate in a conference on oil safety in Cuba this April, Reuters reported. The conference comes as the BP disaster on the U.S. side of the Gulf of Mexico is raising concern over the start of offshore drilling in Cuban waters this year. The arrival of an exploratory drilling platform in Cuban waters that had been expected for early this year was reportedly postponed to summer.
National oil spill commission co-chairman William Reilly called on the Obama administration to think about negotiating a treaty with Mexico and possibly Cuba that would lay out uniform safety standards for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Nothing new is being reported on the blowout/uncontrolled flow/gas leak beneath the East Cameron block 278 B platform that Apache is calling a “water disturbance.” Spin doctors never sleep.
Based on the limited information that is available, well integrity issues loom large and there appear to be some disturbing similarities with the Main Pass 91 blowout in 2007.
Pictures from the Vancouver Conference are now posted!
Posted in conferences, tagged IRF, offshore oil, safety, vancouver on January 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Platts Reports Gas Leak at Apache Platform in Gulf of Mexico
Posted in accidents, tagged accidents, Gulf of Mexico, offshore oil, safety on January 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Apache said a hydrocarbon sheen was discovered in the water near its production platform in East Cameron Block 278 as the company was permanently plugging and abandoning nearby by non-producing wells. Apache said its workers saw bubbling in the water Sunday, followed by the sheen on Monday.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 