bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responsible Water Resources Management in a Semi-Arid Region of Kenya using Techniques from Public Water Utilities
Authors: Boak Richard
Published: March 2016

Tullow Kenya BV, with joint-venture partners, holds the exploration licences for several onshore blocks in Turkana, northern Kenya, and an exploration/appraisal drilling programme is well advanced. Turkana is one of the driest parts of Kenya, so finding, developing and managing water supplies presents many challenges. The challenges have been solved by applying methods and procedures from the water utility industry; the way in which this has been achieved is explained.

Water is required by Tullow for drilling, field camps, civil engineering and community water supply. Larger quantities of water will be required in the future for reservoir injection. Water supplies to meet current demand are provided by a dispersed network of boreholes, exploiting groundwater in local shallow aquifers. Water is distributed from sources to demand centres by a combination of pipelines and tanker trucking. The demand centres include permanent installations but also many short-term sites. Matching supply from widely-scattered sources, with different yields and water qualities, to ever-shifting patterns of demand is the same puzzle faced by public water utilities.

Key indicators used in the water sector include: deployable output, outage, water available for use, headroom and potential yield, and these have been successfully applied in Turkana. The application of water resources management and reporting procedures from the water utility industry to an oil operation in a region that is semi-arid, remote and insecure, with fierce competition for scarce water resources, has proven to be a powerful technique. Given that most of the source boreholes yield relatively fresh water, there is a big responsibility on Tullow to use water wisely and to be able to demonstrate that it is doing so. The techniques also allow plans to be made for when and where new water sources (from groundwater and surface water) need to be brought on stream to stay ahead of the demand curve.

Yields from individual water sources vary considerably with the seasons and from year to year. Defining the long-term sustainable yield of any particular source is not straightforward and must be done using a standard technique if the results are to have any value for comparison, reporting or auditing. Tullow has addressed this and other water resource management issues by the novel approach of treating its operations in Turkana as if it were a water utility.
Management-led Investigations: How They Made A Difference
Authors: Mahmood Madiha , Lawrie Graeme
Published: March 2016

Analyses of repetitive incidents across OMV revealed that many learning opportunities were being missed as investigations either did not reach the root cause or the recommendations made as a result of investigations did not address the root cause. This realization led to the top management committing to personally investigating all high potential (HiPo) incidents, wherever in OMV locations they may occur. Management was convinced that quality investigation of these ‘warning signals’ will eventually help reduce the number of high consequence accidents and is therefore well worth investing time and effort. Since the introduction of the program in 2013, OMV's senior management has diligently investigated all such incidents where the failure of a single barrier could have led to a fatality. This has not only brought about a marked improvement in the quality and consistency of investigations and consequently fewer incidents but has also served as a practical demonstration of HSE being the highest priority for the Company and its management.

This paper presents OMV's experience of establishing the management-led investigation program. The workings of the program as well as the challenges and lessons learned by OMV during implementation are expected to provide useful guidance to organizations intending to refine their investigation processes.
Preventing Claims and Grievances in Pipeline Projects: Using a Holistic Approach and Data Management Systems to Enhance Stakeholder Management
Authors: de Vos Sjacco , Smits Coco C.
Published: March 2016

Access to land is one of the crucial factors in the development process of a pipeline. Developing a sustainable relationship with stakeholders on a local and national scale is essential. This project element is seen as a major risk, since the reaction of stakeholders cannot be calculated or predicted. The consequences of stakeholders’ protest can be devastating for the project's budget and schedule. Therefore the focus on prevention of grievances and stakeholder claims is evident. Preventing large numbers of grievances and stakeholders’ claims from coming in, a collaborative stakeholder engagement approach needs to be implemented at the early stages of a pipeline project. A tailored approach to the local context will increase its success. As part of this approach expectations need to be managed and communication lines must be clear. Lack of consistent communication results in room for speculation, this will increase the risk of stakeholder claims. And even though not all technical information is final yet, stakeholder engagement needs to start.

Drawing on experience from one of the largest pipeline developments on the European continent, this paper will provide recommendations on how a collaborative stakeholder engagement approach can be implemented, having a holistic view from preparation to construction to operation. Deciding on a clear message based on the available information per project phase is key. This asks for a seamless transition between project phases, but also for effective and transparent communication between different departments within a project's organisation. Furthermore this paper will elaborate on the two roles that effective data management can play: First, data management facilitates the communication between the Technical, Commercial and Land Easement & Acquisition (LEA) components of the project. Effective data sharing between these project components will enhance a successful response to stakeholders’ concerns regarding the pipeline route, safety or compensation. Second, using big data (i.e. data available on the internet) to monitor and respond quickly to stakeholders who are voicing their concerns could prevent major stakeholder issues from materialising for your project development. Royal HaskoningDHV is developing and at the brink of implementing of a new application that will allow project proponents to use big data to signal stakeholders’ concerns and respond to it.

Looking at how internal alignment within the project organisation can positively influence external stakeholder management and taking an integrated approach is novel. Combined with the experience of effective data management systems and the development of an innovative application that uses big data to enhance stakeholder management practices will deliver new insights to the audience.
EU Offshore Safety Directive: How to Identify Sensitive Coastal Features in Case of a Major Accident
Authors: Nucci M. E. , Pedroni P. M. , Buffagni M. , Petrone A. , Scataglini L. , Pucillo F. P.
Published: March 2016

In June 2013, the European Commission (EC) published the EU Directive 2013/30/EU on Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations (hereafter referred to as the EU Offshore Safety Directive).

The objective of the EU Offshore Safety Directive is to reduce as far as possible the occurrence of major accidents related to offshore oil and gas operations and to limit the consequences of any such accident, including any damage to protected species and natural habitats. The Directive defines protected species and natural habitats by referring to Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (hereafter referred to as the Habitats Directive).

In order to ensure that all sensitive environmental receptors that may be affected in the event of an accident are identified, eni Upstream, with the support of Amec Foster Wheeler, have mapped sensitive areas in the Mediterranean Sea based on a set of natural and socio-economic criteria. This has been conducted considering both the Habitats Directive and industry good practices.

The mapping exercise is an iterative process; maps are based on data that are publicly available and are updated as new datasets become available. In selecting relevant sensitive areas, eni have considered both the EU Habitats Directive Annexes I and II and criteria aligned with the IPIECA/IMO/IOGP guidance document, Sensitivity Mapping for Oil Spill Response (2012).

All data collected are geo-referenced and can be uploaded onto a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform; the data includes, but are not limited to: Protected Areas (including Natura 2000 sites);Habitats listed in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive;Species listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive;Species of commercial interest;Aquaculture infrastructure;Touristic areas;

This desktop-based baseline can be used for several purposes. In addition to helping eni to comply with the new legislation (e.g. outlining potential environmental consequences of Major Accidents), the maps enable Environmental Specialists to inform decision-making processes along the project lifecycle regarding areas of high environmental value or special vulnerability where extra baseline studies may be needed. The maps can also be used to support Oil Spill Emergency Response teams, so that they can promptly identify sensitive receptors and make informed decisions during emergencies.

This paper illustrates the main features of this GIS platform and provides examples of its application.
Monitoring the Health of the Asset Integrity Management System Through the Use of Generic KPIs
Authors: Gawish Mahmoud , Smith Don
Published: March 2016

The paper presents the motivations, objectives and methodology adopted for establishing an asset integrity performance measurement mechanism utilising generic, readily available leading and lagging key performance indicators (KPIs). The mechanism was developed and implemented within the context of a newly acquired, 20 year old offshore asset.

The cornerstone of the system utilises the ‘bowtie’ methodology, within which generic and readily available KPIs are used to measure the health of the barriers. 39 KPIs were identified and deemed of relevance to the management of major incident risk, with up to 20 KPIs mapped to each individual bowtie barrier. This was followed by assigning ‘weighting scores' to reflect their significance, following which the results were fed into a dashboard-type display using a traffic light system. The dashboard caters for senior management, technical authorities and the offshore workforce by displaying three distinct levels of information. The requirement for tracking KPI trends as well as trends in barrier performance were also accounted for in the monitoring mechanism.

There were a number of challenges encountered during the development process, particularly regarding the objective measurement of barrier health and effectiveness of key management system elements and ‘personnel related’ barriers (e.g. competence). A number of KPIs were identified for monitoring management system and ‘personnel related’ barriers and incorporated into the overall process monitoring mechanism; in addition to the KPIs set for measuring specific hardware barriers. This ensured that the framework was comprehensively inclusive of all aspects of barrier health management which in turn provides a degree of assurance that process safety is being effectively managed.

There are a number of areas where a continuous improvement process will be applied in order to enhance the effectiveness of the system. For instance, the underlying assumptions, aggregation rule sets and mathematical formulae applied will be refined in order to provide a more precise estimate of the barriers' status. Calibration of the ‘weighting scores' and possible modifications to the KPIs is also key to optimising the mechanism developed and ensuring the effectiveness of the process.
Achieving Efficiencies Through Global Multi-Site Certifications
Authors: Brooke-Lander Melanie , Kuykendall Dina
Published: March 2016

In 2012, Baker Hughes embarked on a three-year project to consolidate our external HSE management system certifications under one global, enterprise-wide certificate. While there are some risks associated with this approach, they are minimal for companies with mature HSE management systems and robust internal audit processes. The benefits of increased efficiencies and cost savings are worth the significant effort that a project of this magnitude entails.

For many large companies like ours, the decision on whether or not to be certified to a management system standard such as ISO 14001 (environmental management system standard), and OHSAS 18001 (occupational health and safety management system standard) is made locally and is based upon level of risk to personnel and the environment, and client requirements. As a result, four years ago, we had 64 locations globally with ISO 14001 certification, of which 13 locations also had OHSAS 18001 certification, under a range of single-site and small multi-site certificates. Most locations were being audited annually, with some locations having external audits twice a year. In addition, local managers contracted their registration services from a number of different certification bodies.

The first step in transitioning to a multi-site was selecting a single company to provide certification services. For this, the HSE function collaborated with the Quality function to tender the work to provide all ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 9001 certification services. With more than 400 locations having ISO 9001 certification, the annual savings for both HSE and quality totaled about $1 million per year.

While cost savings are obviously important to the business, we have also realized significant efficiencies in managing the certifications, both at the enterprise and local levels. These included up to an 80% reduction in the number of HSE audits per year and greater visibility to the external audit program and the status of individual locations. It has also facilitated more effective sharing of findings, lessons learned and best practices between locations and across the company. The streamlined and consolidated program has also enabled us to better align our global enterprise HSE management system to the requirements of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, minimizing the need for locations to develop site-specific procedures.

This paper describes our process of transition to enterprise-wide multi-site certificates, illustrates the value proposition and discusses the challenges of managing the new program. For example, we will discuss how to minimize the potential risk associated with a location that may have inconsistent performance, which can jeopardize the certificate for the whole company. We aim to equip companies that are interested in obtaining the benefits of a large multi-site with knowledge of the strategies and best practices learned from our experience.
Issue Management and Sustainability: Lessons from a Major Oilfield Development in Madagascar
Authors: Wagner Jay , Jones Murray , Nash Karen
Published: March 2016

This paper explores the rationale, process and outcomes of an early-stage, issue identification and management process that was applied to a large-scale onshore oil development in Madagascar and to highlight the benefits of the issues management (IM) process for large-scale resource developments more generally. Oil and gas and mining developments increasingly take place in remote and environmentally and socially sensitive areas. They can have significant environmental, social and economic impacts and, if poorly planned and executed, generate social conflict. Stakeholder-related risks in the extractive sector have risen sharply over the last 20 years, putting a premium on early issue identification and management, as part of non-technical risk management. IM, the continuous process of issue identification, analysis, resolution and reporting is increasingly being used by leading extractive companies as a complement to impact assessment and related processes. The objective is to ensure that issues that have the potential to generate significant reputational, financial, legal, and operational impacts are identified in a timely manner and addressed before they escalate and become crises.

While IM has been used for some time, its application in the oil and gas industry is relatively new. With the growing role of project finance, the increasing prevalence of JVs and the need for partnerships to develop complex projects, IM can bring significant value to sustainable project planning, execution and corporate risk management. One of the key conclusions is that IM can help companies improve their approach to impact assessment, reinforce stakeholder engagement, align projects with international project finance requirements and strengthen corporate and project risk management processes.
What Are The BES Fundamental Principles for Project Planning and Development Throughout The Asset Lifecycle of Oil and Gas Operations?
Authors: Connick Sarah , Pedroni Paola Maria , Johnston Mark , Romer Ruth
Published: March 2016

IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, is developing practical guidance that sets out the fundamental aspects of risk, opportunity and impact management for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) in the oil and gas sector. IPIECA is enabling and informing the sector on how to operate responsibly in any environment, by collecting and summarizing essential BES management fundamentals for business processes and operational practices.

Understanding BES issue management principles is fundamental for informing decision-making throughout the asset lifecycle in any type of operation or environment. The guidance will provide the principles and aim to build capacity among members enabling effective application into business processes and operational practices. The information is drawn from sector good practices and collective knowledge, and founded upon six practices: Build BES into their governance and business processesEngage stakeholders and understand their expectations around BESUnderstand BES baselineAssess BES dependencies and potential impactsMitigate and manage BES impacts and identify BES opportunitiesSelect, measure and report BES indicators

To promote continual improvement in understanding how oil and gas activities interact with BES and how potential impacts on BES can be managed in a timely and effectively manner, IPIECA is providing an overview of general principles, practices and tools from the sector for each management practice. These include providing the rationale on the management approach, elements of good practices, related company case studies and links to other relevant IPIECA publications and guidance documents. By bringing aspects of risk assessment and impact management for BES together, the oil and gas industry can make informed decisions along key stages of the asset lifecycle.

The development and application of this practical guidance aligns with IPIECA and IOGP's commitment to share knowledge, promote good practices and develop actions that will enable the oil and gas sector to continually improve its environmental and social performance. By targeting both a corporate and business level audience, as well as external stakeholders, the document will provide leadership on BES issue management to members and communicate enhanced industry performance externally.

In addition to the backing from 36 oil and gas companies through consensus building, IPIECA is developing a document that will act as the definitive guidance for the industry which will encourage consistent and responsible management and reporting of BES issues.
Improvement of Road Safety Within the Oil and Gas Industry and its Effect on the Community - Case Study
Authors: Khallaf Ramy I. , Yasseen Abdelsalam Y.
Published: March 2016

For years, road transportation has been identified as one of the most dangerous activities performed by employee working in any industry, including the oil and gas. Established methodologies and technologies are used to plan journeys and monitor driving activities, thereby providing accurate data for additional controls. These techniques are being used not only within organizations, but within the communities in which the activities occur. This study demonstrates that a dedicated effort to manage the risk associated with road transportation, even in high driving risk area such as Egypt, is an effective means of mitigating incidents.

A fleet of around 100 vehicles, of varying types, within one country (Egypt) were used to identify trends and successful efforts in the use and deployment of these methodologies and technologies. The multi-year study was inclusive of dedicated drivers, occasional drives and heavy vehicle drivers within the organization to get more diverse sampling of driving behaviors and incident types.

In-Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS) data were used to interpret and summarize driving behavioral patterns. Further correlation of the number of near misses or road-related incidents were used to determine the level of improvement achieved over time via the use of mix established methodologies and technologies.

Egypt was selected because according to the World Health Organization, there are around 12,000 fatalities due to road traffic crashes every year, and there is low enforcement of basic traffic laws. Little-to-no control of excessive over-speeding or seatbelt usage, no strict enforcement of the issuance of local driving license, poor lane and traffic signal discipline, and poor road designs and conditions, all contribute to the increased risk for vehicle incidents and the severity of injuries resulting from those incidents. These realities made Egypt an ideal case to evaluate the effectiveness of a systematic approach to implement and use transportation safety methodologies and technologies.
Competency Management Guidance for Geophysical Industry Personnel with HSE Responsibilities
Authors: Threadgold Ian M. , Hallows Stephen G. , Ingram Randy P.
Published: March 2016

The paper describes a recently revised guidance document for the geophysical sector of the oil and gas industry on the subject of competency management for personnel with HSE responsibilities. "HSE" is a historical acronym that is now used in the document to represent the broader set of disciplines that include occupational health, safety, environment, security and social responsibility.

The revised IOGP document aims to provide guidance for companies in the geophysical sector of the oil and gas industry on developing and implementing a competency management system (CMS) and modules covering HSE aspects of geophysical activities. The modules can be used to develop training courses and to assess competency levels, with the goal of developing consistent training and improved competencies across the industry. Consistency across the industry has also been the goal of all previous versions of this document. The paper describes the significant changes made in the revision and why they are important.
Managing Blowout Risk Using a Dynamic Barrier Approach
Authors: Ahluwalia Amar , Ruochen Liu
Published: March 2016

The oil and gas industry is moving into some of the most challenging and hostile exploration environments on the planet ranging from the Arctic to Ultra-Deepwater. Hydrocarbon resources are becoming more difficult to extract physically, economically and, in some cases, politically. While there is enormous pressure to tackle these challenges, we must not lose sight of operational, environmental and safety risks and how to best manage them. One such risk that can lead to catastrophic consequences is well blowouts as illustrated by "Macondo" and "Montara" incidents. Such incidents imply lack of risk management to blowouts and well barriers in current approaches. This is, in part, due to the complex physical mechanism of blowouts, complexity of the decisions needed to respond to well control incidents, unique configurations of each well, geological and operational uncertainties, and barrier effectiveness over time.

A new practical method of dynamically managing barriers that can reduce blowout risk during the operational phase is described in this paper. This method is based on a dynamic blowout simulation tool that is applicable for onshore/offshore oil and gas well blowouts. This tool integrates fluid dynamics and heat transfer modeling in wellbore and reservoir pressure changes due to depletion during blowout. It provides a dynamic estimation of site specific blowout rates, and then incorporates with other uncertainties to demonstrate the total risk picture using a barrier based approach.

To demonstrate this method, a sample case study is presented. First step is to establish the initial risk picture. The case of drilling an exploration well is modeled and risk picture established without incorporating any well barriers. Second step is to frequently update this risk picture to current activity. As the drilling activity progresses, well barriers are introduced into the wellbore. Inclusion of any such well barriers minimizes the flow paths for a blowout to surface reducing such risk; conversely effectiveness of these well barriers is assessed by demonstrating how the risk is reduced when effective barriers are put in place. This risk picture is hence updated each time a barrier is added or removed and hence is dynamic. Finally, the cost-benefit relationship of each barrier is ranked according to their performance in reducing risk versus their associated costs. This provides opportunities to assess the effectiveness of well barriers during the well lifecycle phases.

The method described in this paper enables faster decision-making, improved visibility of risk management in operations, enhanced organizational communication, better testing of barrier solutions and enables a step change in site safety. Utilizing dynamic barrier analysis reduces risk uncertainty in more challenging drilling sites by enabling the operator to assess the current risk status rather than rely on out of date information.
The Journey from Epidemiology to Health Analytics
Authors: Sexton K. R. , Hess J. K. , Bhojani F. A.
Published: March 2016

Shell Health has had an Epidemiology team for over thirty years that, historically, has focused on traditional occupational epidemiology in the United States. Shell Health epidemiologists have published more than fifty papers using the Shell Health Surveillance System (HSS), a database comprised of demographic, work history, and absence data for U.S.-based employees. In the 2000s, epidemiologists began to distribute health reports highlighting health risk factors and absenteeism rates and to design wellness interventions in U.S. operating sites. The current team of epidemiologists has skill sets that are interdisciplinary, reaching across businesses and transcending traditional epidemiology into a global program of great breadth. Their portfolio now includes holistic approaches to wellness, community health, and global measurement strategies.

Epidemiologists lead the analyses of the positive psychology-based Resilience Program implemented in office settings globally. As the Program expands, epidemiologists are working closely with operating sites' leadership to ensure the enhanced program's applicability to their workers and appropriate selection of business outcomes. Shell's Care for People is a global initiative to provide an environment in which workers in camps and construction sites can perform their best; epidemiologists developed its analytics strategy and met with leaders from across the business to ensure appropriateness and usefulness of proposed data collection. The transition of the team to a global discipline has been recognized by the Vice President of Health and the Global Leadership Team. Under their guidance, the team re-branded to Health Analytics to represent its breadth and global reach. A long-term strategy, mission, and vision are being created by the team to demonstrate its scope and its strong relationship with businesses across Shell.

The group is likely to grow from a U.S.-centric team delivering classic occupational epidemiology to a global discipline focused on realizing Health's value in partnership with Shell business across human performance dimensions. The new team will be the first scientific discipline in Shell Health to re-brand itself and expand globally after a long history in only the U.S. The current members have played important roles in the growth of the team's scope, its global recognition, and its transition into a new discipline.
Transitioning From a Classic Wellness Paradigm to a Culture of Health Strategy: Early Reflections and Impacts
Authors: Hess J. K. , Sexton K. W. , Bhojani F. A.
Published: March 2016

Shell's investment in employee wellness programs has spanned more than a decade, and is closely aligned with the Company's business principles and values, including long-term profitability and demonstrating care for employees. Initial wellness interventions focused almost entirely on reducing obesity at targeted worksites. Over time, the emphasis has been broadened to development of a company-wide culture of health which seeks to "empower People and the Business to thrive, and perform at their best."

This paper describes the evolution of Shell's approach to wellness, from one focused on health risk prevalence and health care costs, to a more holistic definition of health, and broadened list of success metrics including employee engagement. We begin by explaining the context for the initiation of our workplace wellness programs, including high and increasing prevalence of obesity, and growing absenteeism, particularly at large manufacturing assets. We will describe the earliest interventions which rolled out in 2003 through our largest and most recent program which is currently in its third year, and has served as the impetus for a number of similar programs across Shell in the US. Each will be described in terms of target population, design, outcomes and lessons learned.

Successful implementation of a Culture of Health will be apparent when (1) Company leaders talk about health routinely, (2) visitors know and feel that Shell values health and cares for people, (3) external agencies identify Shell as a healthy high performing company, and (4) employees value health as much as safety is currently valued. A healthy workplace goes beyond worker protection or ergonomics, to an environment that is friendly, supportive, and an enabler of high performance. Programs and activities underlying the development of Shell's Culture of Health are aligned with one purpose – to create healthy high performance and add value for people and the business.
Environmental Solutions Implemented for the Goliat Offshore Oil Field Development - The First Oil Field Development in the Norwegian Barents Sea
Authors: Bjørnbom Erik , Hansen Ole , Melhus Marta Linde , Klevstad Ulf
Published: March 2016

The Goliat field operated by Eni Norge AS, with Statoil Petroleum AS as the only partner, will be the first offshore oil field in the Norwegian Barents Sea and the world's northernmost offshore oil field.

The Goliat field is being developed with a geostationary FPSO connected to 8 subsea templates with 22 wells (12 production wells, 7 water injectors and 3 gas injectors). The FPSO is on location and commissioning work is ongoing.

The field is located in the south western part of the Barents Sea, relatively close to the coastline. The Barents Sea is a sea area important for a number of fish stocks, sea birds and sea mammals. A number of "Particularly valuable and vulnerable areas" has been identified as part of the work conducted in relation to the update of the "Integrated Management Plan for the Marine Environment of the Barents Sea–Lofoten Area" presented to the Norwegian Parliament in the "White Paper no. 10 (2010–2011). The area has high political focus, especially on oil spill preparedness and environmental issues.

Environmental issues have been highly prioritized through all the project phases, in order to fulfill the frame work conditions set for the sea area by Norwegian Authorities and the specific requirements set by the Norwegian Parliament when approving the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Goliat field in 2009. The Goliat development project has developed and implemented new solutions, which will result in improved environmental performance.

The paper will address how the Goliat development project has implemented environmental BAT (Best Available Technic) solutions in relation to: Power solution (electrical power from shore in combination with gas turbine on FPSO)Emission to air reduction measures (mininimize GHG (Green House Gases) and other emissions, improved energy efficiency)Reduction of discharge to sea (re-injection of produced water, slop tank size, internal drain system, facility design)Offloading solution (new design)Environment monitoring solution (leak detection)Oil spill preparedness (new concepts in coastal areas)

The paper is closely linked to previous SPE papers presenting the Goliat field development, such as SPE paper 156773 "Implementation of the oil spill preparedness for the Goliat offshore oil field development – The first oil field development in the Barents Sea" (1), SPE paper 156795 "Coastal Oil Spill Preparedness Improvement Programme (COSPIP) and Memorandum of Understanding – Comprehensive Joint & Industrial project focusing on coastal oil spill challenges" (2) and SPE paper 126598 "EIA for the Goliat Offshore Oil Field Development. World's northernmost offshore oil development?"(3).
Making Safety Critical Decisions in a High-Hazard High-Consequence Environment: A Case Study
Authors: Hudson Peter , Hudson Timothy
Published: March 2016

This paper discusses the challenges encountered in the completion of a port reconstruction project in a West African country. On a US$150M aid project, undertaken by a range of international contractors, a major concern surfaced with respect to the existing LPG installation in the port as well as the proximity of a neighboring sulfur store. This paper examines the issues and consequences of integrating the risks into a reworked construction plan that assured an acceptable level of safety was achieved, if at some major political cost. The paper provides an example of the successful implementation of what had started as a relatively straightforward port project and developed into an extremely high-risk program as the oil and gas hazards became clear.

An onshore LPG storage facility in the port (3000 m3 and 200 m3) was identified as a major hazard that had not been considered in the original plans as it had been seen as a separate independent port activity. In the absence of sufficient information about the integrity of the facility an independent audit was undertaken. The findings were so grave, including a significant risk of uncontrolled fire and explosion, that a shutdown of both the entire construction site and the gas facility were demanded by the contractor and supported by the client. As the LPG facility provided a major source of LPG supply for 5 African nations, there was considerable pressure from the highest political levels to keep the facility in operation.

The worst consequence initially identified was a Boiling Liquid Expansive Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). After this risk had been identified a search for other hazards revealed a sulfur storage dump (± 10,000 tons) that, if ignited by a BLEVE posed a risk that was of catastrophic potential, putting a quarter of the population of the capital city (± 1.2M people) at significant risk from the combustion products of burning sulfur.

The paper discusses the physical and political knock-on consequences of the 8-week shutdown as well as the potential consequences on the port, the surrounding city and 5 countries if there had been a BLEVE. This paper aims to explore this potential and understand how close to an all out disaster this was. One lesson was the necessity of identifying and assessing all the hazards generated by oil and gas operations even when they do not appear to be relevant at first sight.
Oil Spill Detection and Response Using Satellite Imagery, Insight to Technology and Regulatory Context
Authors: Skedsmo Martin , Ayasse Rob , Soleng Nina , Indregard Marte
Published: March 2016

Objectives/Scope

A globalized market, stricter regulations by governments and increased scrutiny by the public are urging operating oil companies and preparedness and response organizations to set up and improve their current oil spill detection and monitoring procedures. As the industry moves north into the Arctic, satellites play an ever more important role by providing quick and reliable oil spill detections independent of geography, daylight or cloud cover. In Norway Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery has been used operationally for over 20 years and this manuscript will in short describe the history, regulatory context and latest technological capacities.

Methods, Procedures, Process

Several countries´ regulatory bodies have recently been looking to Norway drawing up regulations for detection of oil spills and the use of remote sensing. The reason for this is that in Norway it has been a mandatory requirement to use remote sensing for detection of acute pollution1 for many years. Satellite based information has been used operationally for 20 years in Norway and Norway has a unique cooperation model where information and responsibility, both for monitoring and response, are shared between the operating oil companies,(through NOFO, the industry group composed of all the offshore oil producers operating in Norway), and the Norwegian Coastal Administration.

Results, Observations, Conclusions

The "early birds" like Sweden, Netherlands, Finland and UK integrated the Norwegian satellite based oil spill detection service into their national response chain with airplanes and other surveillance means. And because oil spills knows no borders, the service concept was soon expanded into regional monitoring services, where several countries participated and shared information and resources. In 2007, the European Maritime Safety Agency, EMSA, established a multinational monitoring program called CleanSeaNet, CSN, covering all European coastal states. Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) in Norway was responsible for the setup, service provision and training of all end users. Use of satellite information for oil spill detection is today a widely accepted and proven technology and is currently used for both early detection, identification of source, and in response situations being an excellent tool for documenting chain of events and planning response efforts.

Novel/Additive Information

The Norwegian oil spill detection service is today provided worldwide and end users in Australia and Gulf of Mexico benefits from the service development done in Norway. One of the challenges using satellites has been frequency and update intervals. With current developments in the satellite industry, satellite coverage will be provided more frequently and available even faster, thus improving the capacities in the case of acute pollution.
What is the 2030 Vision for Water Management in the Oil and Gas Sector?
Authors: Wyness Alistair , Romer Ruth
Published: March 2016

Water constraints are predicted to increase as a result of population growth and increased living standards, pollution impacts and climate change impacts. IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, has implemented a structured, scenario based process to build a long-term vision to 2030 to help inform water management for the industry. This process was informed by published science, IPIECA member knowledge and external experts. The process involved the characterisation of numerous and complex uncertainties that may potentially arise by 2030, the dependencies between those uncertainties and the regional variation of those uncertainties. Through this characterization four independent and plausible future-state scenarios have been created, describing potential water management regimes in 15 years that could exist. These scenarios will allow, IPEICA to develop a vision for water management in the oil and gas sector, forming the basis of a roadmap for IPIECA and the industry to proactively plan for the future.
Development of Environmentally Friendly Tracer Technology for Monitoring Drilling Fluid Infiltration During Coring Operation
Authors: Cramer J. L. , Nielsen T. B. , Bähring S. , Torgersen H. T. , Cowling M. , Sidley T.
Published: March 2016

Tracers in drilling mud have been used during coring operations as a tool to quantify the degree of mud filtrate-invasion in the core. This paper describes the application of a deuterium oxide water-based mud tracer that allows for real-time analysis of the tracer concentration while the drilling operation is ongoing. This ensures that a uniform mud tracer concentration can be maintained during coring operations. By using a Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) technique, the tracer concentration offshore can be assessed within 30 minutes of sampling. The combination of deuterium oxide tracer and CRDS analysis constitutes the first HSE-compliant real-time tracing for offshore coring operations. This method was applied successfully on a Maersk Oil exploration well drilled in the North Sea. The mud tracer concentration was monitored throughout the coring operation and subsequently compared to the tracer concentrations found in the core material. It was concluded that mud filtrate invasion ranged from 26% to 62%.
Quantified Risk Analysis of DP Operations - Principles and Challenges
Authors: Chen Haibo , Nygärd Bjørn
Published: March 2016

Risk of position loss is intrinsic to all DP vessels. A position loss may happen on DP1 vessels, as well as on DP2 and DP3 vessels. The consequence is vessel and operation specific, and can be catastrophic to personnel, environment and asset. Quantification of the risk originated from DP vessel position loss is viewed necessary for the offshore oil and gas industry and is a good way to focus the attention in DP risk management. The paper presents a five-step methodology to perform quantified risk analysis of DP operations. That is, 1) Assess frequency of position loss, 2) Establish vessel speed and distance profile involved in position loss, 3) Estimate probability of successful intervention in case of position loss, 4) Calculate frequency of accident and estimate accident consequences, and 5) Conclude the risk picture and investigate risk reduction measures. Key principles are described with case studies to illustrate the methodology. One of the main challenges for a quantified risk analysis of DP operations is related to the frequency of positon loss. The DP incident reporting scheme in the industry at present however does not provide position loss frequency. The authors recommend an alternative DP incident data reporting scheme which combines both incidents and corresponding DP operational time. By having transparency on reporting and deriving less uncertain position loss frequency figures, such reporting scheme will contribute to the DP safety management and in the long run bring benefits to all stakeholders involved in offshore DP marine operations.
Mapping of Oil and Gas Companies' Policy Commitment to Respect Human Rights
Authors: Hansen Thomas Trier
Published: March 2016

Oil and gas companies are recommended to develop a policy commitment to respect human rights and to communicate their commitment publicly. This recommendation is based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This study assesses, based on accessible information on the Internet, if the 35 largest oil and gas companies in term of revenues from Asia, Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Australia in fact are implementing the recommendation. The study also attempts to assess, if the implementation of the recommendation varies depending on a company's origin and nature of ownership. The study shows that the majority of companies state – explicitly or implicitly – that they are committed to respecting human rights and often with a reference to UN Global Compact. The exception is companies headquartered in Middle East countries. All companies in the study recognize the importance of corporate social responsibility. The majority understands human rights as what is referenced in the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and there are indications that this is regarded as the minimum standard for conducting business with legitimacy. If the company has an explicit policy commitment, it is approved at the most senior level. The policies assessed do not generally indicate that companies have undertaken a systematic assessment of their potential areas of impact, and the policies apply mostly internally or to business relations but rarely other parties directly linked to its operations, products and services in their application to other than internal of the companies.
Successfully Managing a Large High-Hazard Road Transport Operation Using the Hearts and Minds Tool Driving for Excellence
Authors: Hudson Peter
Published: March 2016

Oil exploration and production has a high exposure to many different high-risk activities. Leading among the activities resulting in serious injury and fatalities in the oil and gas industry is road transport. This paper is a case study describing a road transport operation supporting the reconstruction of a port in Benin, West Africa. This required moving 360,000 tons of rock over country roads as well as within a densely populated urban area. The case study involves many activities that the E&P business faces; lessons learned from the successes and failures of the operation apply across a wide range of industries.

The construction site was in the largest city in the country and the materials were to be supplied from a quarry 150km inland. The approach to ensuring a safe operation, including both contractors and third parties, was based upon the Hearts and Minds tool Driving for Excellence, including an outreach to those exposed along the route. Unlike most driving programs that focus on the drivers, Driving for Excellence concentrates on how the contract is managed in its totality. This paper looks at how the contract was set up and managed and impacted the cultures of both the client and the contractors involved. It examines what actions were taken to limit the risks involved and how the contractually mandated health and welfare outreach programs were supplemented to improve health and safety along the entire transport corridor.

The operation was completed on time with no deaths, two casualties (caused in part by third parties) and very few incidents, which was significantly below the initial expectation. There was sufficient flexibility that sub-contractor arrangements could be revisited during the operation as a result of attention to learning.

The paper concludes by looking at what benefits the client, contractors and third parties gained through the conduct of the contract. The results generated sufficient confidence for a contract extension to be awarded to move 180,000 m3 dredged sand, again through the heart of the city, to a storage site in preparation of a beach recharge scheme. This operation was also completed on time with no injuries or major incidents.