Jubilee Development HSE Management and Safety Case
Authors: Bergeron Scott , Mutimer Keith 
Published: April 2012

The world-class Jubilee Field Development located 60 km offshore Ghana beganproduction in November, 2010, just 3.5 years from its discovery. Achieving asafe and on-time start-up in this timeframe presented its share of challenges. This paper highlights two key Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE)challenges and how they were overcome by the Jubilee Integrated Project Team(IPT) who was committed to making it happen:Influencing and maintaining good HSE performance from a multitude of globallydiverse construction, installation, commissioning, and operations contractorsunder the pressures of an aggressive schedule and without pre-existing HSEgovernance from Kosmos or Tullow as the Technical and Unit Operatorsrespectively; andDemonstrating to external stakeholders that design and operational HSE riskswere properly addressed for the first deep water production facility in acountry without an established oil and gas regulatory infrastructure.

Although fast tracking a major oil and gas development can increase HSE risks, the Jubilee Project demonstrates that it can be done safely if risks areclearly understood and managed properly. Good HSE performance can be achievedwithout a rigid Corporate or Government infrastructure. It does, however, require the selection of highly competent team members who possess both ahealthy appreciation for safety and the experience to understand and manage HSErisks based on past major deep water projects. When experienced project teammembers such as the Jubilee IPT are given the responsibility and accountabilityto bring good industry practices into project execution, hazards and risks canbe effectively and efficiently controlled.

Consistent with the overall project strategy, a fit-for-purpose Jubilee ProjectHSE Management Plan was developed. Highly experienced and specialized HSEconsultants supported the IPT in the critical risk areas such as RiskManagement, Environmental Impact Assessments, On-shore Construction Safety, Marine Vessel Operations, Crane and Lifting, and Operational Readiness. Withover 11 million man-hours worked, the project successfully ended and exceededits HSE Performance Goals with a TRIR of 1.52, LTIR of 0.42 and no significantenvironmental releases.

Developing a Safety Case for the Jubilee Development in a non-regulatedenvironment was also a major achievement that provided the means to demonstrateall risk were managed to a level " as low as reasonably practicable" (ALARP)prior to start-up. An early integration of Operations personnel within the IPTwas a key factor in the successful transfer and operationalization of theSafety Case to Tullow as its duty-holder. A third party independent review alsohelped assure that the Jubilee Safety Case will meet or exceed any futureregulatory requirements established by the Government of Ghana.

This paper provides a model for successfully managing HSE risks associated witha World-Class major offshore development under the conditions of a fast-trackschedule and in an emerging oil and gas region with limited regulatoryoversight. It also provides a framework for influencing good HSE performancefrom Contractors by working with them to achieve the desired results.