bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process Safety Focused Management Walk-Arounds for an Offshore Facility
Authors: Bertrand Meg , Zartl-Klik Angelika
Published: September 2012

Management Walk-Arounds are known to focus on occupational safety related items, rather than the less tangible technical items and management systems, like those which support process safety. Therefore, a management Walk-Around guide sheet has been developed, for offshore installations, which helps the observer look at process safety related practices, even if they are not a process safety or technical expert.

The intent of the process safety walkarounds is twofold. First, to gather information about the functionality of systems which support process safety, i.e Management of Change, Management of Overrides, Maintenance of critical elements, etc. Second, to increase awareness about these processes, both for the personnel who have a role in carrying out aspects of process safety management and for the managers/observers completing the walkarounds. This is accomplished through a combination of dialogue and site inspections.

A series of recommended questions was developed for each of the identified process safety systems. The questions are not aimed at identifying "non-compliance" but simply to understand how the system or process in question is functioning and to help the operator to begin thinking about their role. For example, within the procedures one question is how often they find errors in the procedures and what they do when they find one or how often they do not find a procedure they need, etc. Added to this is a set of specific questions, aimed at getting specific system information, for example, how many alarms rang in over the last hour, is a specific gas detector, located during the site inspection portion, found in the maintenance management system, etc.

Trends, from compiled data of several walkarounds, show system functionality and can be used to focus improvement efforts. First results will be shown using walkaroundsfrom 2011/2012.
Creativity, Interaction and New Media; 3 Elements to Talk About Health and Safety at the Workplace in an Effective Way
Authors: Scotti Davide , Matking Darren B , Vannetti Giuseppe
Published: September 2012

Very often, verbal communication, even if supported by powerful promotional channels and high-impact formats, is not sufficient to capture the interest of a target audience and enable assimilation of the desired message. If we add to this the lack of familiarity with the topic and its apparent complexity, the objective becomes even more difficult to achieve.

This, all too often, is what happens in the case of health and safety at the workplace. It is therefore crucial to find strategies for highly interactive communication, enabling the direct involvement of the target audience and better transfer of the message to spread.

This was the reasoning behind the initiative "28th April – World Day for Safety & Health at Work" – Video Competition, which was promoted all over Saipem world on 28 April 2011.
Third Party Certification in ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001: Do these Certifications Really Add Value? An Ecuadorian Experience
Authors: Romero Joaquin
Published: September 2012

Over the past years, organizations were tasked with implementing a new HSE Management System. In addition, many of the Exploration & Production companies were requesting Oil Services Companies (OSC) to have their Management systems certified to meet ISO and OHSAS standards and this trend continues today.

The question for the OSC is Do these Certifications really add value? Most organizations have HSE Management Systems with different degrees of complexity implemented, but most are not third party certified to a standard. The current market tendency is forcing the OSC to obtain an external certification, and consider it as a market differentiator.

This paper will demonstrate third party certification is not necessary to improve HS&E performance and to determine that external certifications are not contributing to market share gain or loss by OSC who maintain third party certifications.

This conclusion is based in Key Performance Indicators and HSE MS performance of E&P Companies in Ecuador who maintain third part certification of their Management System. By simply applying the principles of an international standard HS&E MS, without an external certification, OSC are able to produce outstanding HSE performance.

This result changes the focus of the E&P Oil Producers to establish internal controls for effective contractor management and for the OSC to implement a reliable HS&E MS.
Fatigue Risk Management Program – A Fit for Purpose Approach
Authors: Ryan Noel D. , Abassi Huma
Published: September 2012

Excess workplace fatigue is a risk to safe operations and has been recognized as a contributing factor in recent industry incidents including Texas refinery explosion. API Recommended Practice 755 now requires refineries, petrochemical and chemical operations, natural gas liquefaction plants, and other facilities such as those covered by the OSHA Process Safety Management Standard to establish Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) policies and procedures. Chevron has implemented programs for refining and chemicals operations to address the risk of fatigue and is in the process of expanding these guidelines to cover other operations as well.

The scope of FRMS guidelines includes workers on rotating shifts, extended hours/days, or callouts and those involved in process safety sensitive actions. Chevron existing pilot programs in select operating units in its U.S. Refineries, Upstream Gas Plants and Chemical Plants. Upon completion of the pilot programs, the FRMS system will be deployed in the remaining Process Safety Managed facilities in the United States and refineries in Canada and South Africa.

The following areas are addressed based on guidelines: (1) Staffing Workload Analysis – performing initial and periodic assessment of the staffing balance; (2) Hours of Service Limits – establishing management exception processes and compliance; (3) Employee/ Supervisor Training – identifying causes, risks and potential consequences of fatigue and recognizing at risk employees; (4) Fatigue in Incident Investigation – determining if fatigue is a root cause or contributing to incidents; (5) Work Environments – determining changes that can affect alertness and fatigue risk and (6)Prevention and Management of Medical Conditions - providing sleep disorder screening and support resources.

Next steps include evaluating how the FRMS guidelines may apply to Chevron's global workforce. Our international locations include off-shore production platforms, camps and shipping vessels where employees may work 12-hr. shifts for 28 days on/28 days off. The next wave of this project will determine which of the identified guideline areas will apply to each of these locations.
Social Responsibility & Management Systems: Elevating Performance for Shale Gas Development
Authors: Padilla Aaron
Published: September 2012

This paper presents findings on the effectiveness of management systems to elevate social performance, illustrated by two case studies of shale gas development in the United States and Europe. This paper provides practical insights to the upstream oil and gas industry on (a) using management systems to drive a higher level of social performance for shale gas development and (b) generally integrating social performance even more effectively into management systems. The case studies illustrate several benefits driven by management systems: increased organizational focus and identification of resourcing needs through deliberate planning, performance innovations to meet stakeholder expectations and concerns, an ability to meet the challenge of community-level engagement with underlying confidence in processes. The company's experience in these case studies also illustrated a difference between the environment, health and safety (EHS) function and the external affairs function in the extent that the management system governed performance. Practioners also noted a seeming trade-off in employing a management systems approach: that better performance in the short- and long-term requires reconciliation with initially slower decision making and operational expansion. Finally, this paper presents several practical tips on social responsibility and shale gas across the key dimensions of a management system, with three concluding considerations around the importance of adequate resourcing, sharpening functional responsibility and accountability for social performance and the role of company-wide requirements.

Proper management requires balanced stress on objectives, especially by top management. It rules out the common pernicious business malpractice: management by "crises" and "drives."

The social dimension is a survival dimension… The enterprise exists on sufferance and exists only as long as the society and the economy believe that it does a necessary, useful, and productive job.

--Peter Drucker (115–116, 37)
Working Safely in the Heat - Field Support Initiatives
Authors: Chesson Barry
Published: September 2012

The bulk of Chevron Australia's field operations are carried out in hot areas of Western Australia (WA). The climate, the work environment and the nature of tasks being carried out mean that heat stress management is a critical element in the Company's health protection efforts. Heat illness produces outcomes that vary from mild levels of fatigue and discomfort through to life threatening conditions such as heat stroke. Additionally, it is well recognised that excessive deep body temperature and dehydration are connected with a decrement in both physical and mental performance, and hot conditions may thereby give rise to accidents and significant productivity loss.

Many of the logistical, earthworks and construction tasks now underway in advance of the Gorgon Project's operational phase are carried out in the open, with an accompanying high risk of UV exposure. As such, skin cancer protection is an important additional consideration.

What sets this work apart from the work of others is: The project was applied in a challenging, construction work environment characterised by constant change and many newcomersThere was a focus on connecting well established scientific understanding with day-to-day practice in the fieldThe project centred on an integrated approach to dealing with the twin issues of heat stress and UV protectionSeveral new training packages, checklists, surveys and field trials were introducedThere was a close connection with external stakeholders, including the Cancer Council Western Australia (CCWA), WorkSafe WA and the Commission for Occupational Safety and Health

The project involved the development and communication of expectations, procedures and processes to support leading practice management of heat stress and UV exposure.

The paper describes a comprehensive approach to both heat management and sun protection. It should have broad applicability to Oil and Gas Industry operations in warmer parts of the world.
HSE Management System: Keep It Simple!
Authors: Campbell Hugh , Polo Jerome , Bouly Guillaume
Published: September 2012

In 2002, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board published a paper titled "Cultural and Language Barriers in the Workplace" (Charlotte-Mecklenburg, 2002). Although this board is not be specifically related to the oil and gas industry, the lessons contained are important. A couple of the more salient points: –In their research, interviews with Human Resources professionals indicated that language and cultural barriers play a significant role in how people learn and adopt health and safety instructions. Specifically, workers with "little or no English are at much greater risk of having an accident on the job because of not having a full grasp of safety standards."–Cultural norms also lead to issues of communication. In some cultures, a social hierarchy often exists that can create "bumps" in communication in the workplace.

In an environment of increasing diversity such as oil and gas development, and with specific consideration of the multiple cultural dynamics in play in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), language skills and culture will impact how effectively HSE management systems are developed and implemented. Total Abu Al Bukhoosh (Total ABK) is located in the UAE emirate of Abu Dhabi and has been working for several years to address the issues of language and culture through development of a simplified HSE management system approach.
Control Charts – A Robust Approach for Monitoring Endangered Species Exposure to a Major Construction Project
Authors: Chaloupka Milani , Pendoley Kellie , Moro Dorian
Published: September 2012

A scheme for monitoring the status and trend of the flatback turtle population nesting on Barrow Island (Western Australia) has been adopted using a statistical control chart based approach. The scheme involves the annual monitoring of an ensemble of 12 key demographic parameters that were identified using a conceptual model of flatback population dynamics. Many of these parameters are derived from a comprehensive multistate capture-mark-recapture sampling program of ca. 4000 nesting turtles at the Barrow Island rookery.
Safety Management -Asking the Right Questions
Authors: Braastein Gisle
Published: September 2012

In common with all organizations operating in today's rapidly changing working environment, energy companies have significant exposure to their businesses due to high levels of scrutiny from stakeholders and low thresholds of acceptance of failure. In recent years there have been a number of accidents that have changed the way public sees the offshore industry and to a large extent, the way industry sees itself. Companies operating major hazard facilities that previously managed occupational safety performance well are now focussing on preventing larger process safety events.

Despite this, major accidents continue to occur. While the causes and consequences of such events can vary, the systemic failures tend to be similar and could be experienced by any company in this industry. As such, preventing and managing process events in a competent manner have become essential for industry. There are a number of tools and approaches available to assist in the management of process safety yet senior managers can find it difficult to engage the workforce due to the technical nature of the subject.

This presentation will introduce some considerations on how we rely on information technology and software systems to generate data for decisions support. One question raised is; whether these systems have reached a maturity level where vital knowledge from one source is used in combination with another, to bring Synergies into our traditional HSE, process safety, integrity and risk management approaches. How should modern software platforms interact to contribute to more safe, stable and predictable operations in the industry?
Improving Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Quality through Leadership Coaching & Feedback
Authors: Ford Jodi L.
Published: September 2012

In 2008, Chevron Upstream and Gas implemented a procedure called "Leadership Behaviors to support the Managing Safe Work (MSW) Process". The implementation of this procedure has shown that regular leadership engagement with field-based workforce has led to an increased use of Chevron's Stop Work Authority policy. We are also beginning to see a reduction in personal safety related incidents.

Annually, Chevron conducts a major incident study to identify incident root cause analysis trends across the corporation. The last several studies have identified, "inadequate Job Safety Analysis (JSA)/hazard analysis" as one of the top five most frequently cited root causes in the incident investigation reports that were reviewed. These circumstances led the Managing Safe Work community in Chevron Upstream and Gas to take the leadership engagement program one step further. We developed a JSA focused leadership engagement which incorporates a JSA review and feedback session with workers. The aim of the JSA focused engagement is to proactively improve the quality of JSAs through immediate, specific feedback and coaching. The JSA focused engagement was piloted in October 2011 through December 2011. This paper discusses the learnings from the pilot and the improvements the team has made to the focused engagements that we believe are a key to driving improved quality and effectiveness of JSAs in our operations.
Goals for Life - An Innovative Workplace Wellness Program
Authors: Canning Joel
Published: September 2012

With Australians spending approximately one third of their life at work, the workplace plays an important role in the physical, mental, economic and social wellbeing of workers and in turn, their families (1). The workplace has subsequently been recognized as a priority setting for health promotion by the World Health Organisation and Australian governments (2,3).

Changes to the way we work are contributing to inactive lifestyles and unhealthy living. Our workplaces have become increasingly inactive and it has now been shown that sedentary behavior is a risk factor for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes independent of physical activity (exercise) levels (4).

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of mortality in Australia being responsible for 30% of all deaths (5)
Care and Concern for People We’ll Never Meet – Process Safety in the Design of the Wheatstone Platform
Authors: Stevenson Kevin
Published: September 2012

The design team for the Wheatstone offshore platform successfully deployed an ‘Inherently Safe Design’ (ISD) approach to engineering the gas processing complex. Through a program of initiatives focused on ISD, a substantial improvement in the safe design of the platform has been delivered.

Major accident events: Deepwater Horizon rig loss with Macondo well blowout: 11 people died and 17 seriously injured.Montarra well blow-out and loss of West Atlas rig: in Australian waters – resulting in one of the worst oil spills in Australia's history.Texas City Refinery explosion: 15 people died and almost 200 injured.

The Texas City incident in 2005 initiated the most detailed and far reaching investigation ever undertaken by the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) at the time. The CSB report included a recommendation that BP form an independent panel to conduct a review of the company's corporate safety culture, safety management systems, and corporate safety oversight at its U.S. refineries. This independent review was conducted and a separate report known as the Baker Report was developed, with the key conclusion being that the process safety culture was deficient.
Effective Management of Endangered Species in Oil and Gas Operations
Authors: Fancony Preciosa , Abel Alan
Published: September 2012

During its recovery from war and the development of infrastructures, Angola has relied on the income from the oil industry to support the increasing demands for the reconstruction of its infrastructure and economy. The rapid growth of the oil industry in Angola was accompanied by a greater interest in environmental protection, specifically in areas of oil exploration and production operations. The Cabinda Gulf Oil Company—Chevron (CABGOC)—has implemented a successful environmental program to protect three endangered sea turtle species in its Angolan operational areas. The objective of the Malongo Sea Turtle Protection Program to mitigate the influence of the Malongo camp operations on the sea turtle nesting habitat of the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivácea), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriácea), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). The Health, Environment and Safety (HES) environmental team and a team of four surveyors (former Cabinda fishermen) used nest monitoring techniques and high-quality geographic information system (GIS) mapping capability to monitor the sea turtle nests in the 4 kilometers Malongo camp beach. Turtle monitoring included night patrols over a seven month period (September to April), counting nests, GIS mapping of all nests, relocating nests from areas of possible human disturbance, tagging and measuring sea turtles, monitoring hatching success, and releasing sea turtle hatchlings. Since its start in 2002, the program has registered over 1,000 nests, tagged and measured over 40 sea turtles, and released over 29,000 hatchlings to the sea. Additionally, a recent study of the Cabinda coast indicates that the Malongo program is currently the most successful sea turtle protection program in Cabinda in terms of nest hatching success, poaching protection, and documenting nesting patterns. This program has helped build partnerships with the community, oil industry partners, and the Environmental Ministry of Angola as well as increased public awareness on sea turtle protection.
ICS SYSTEM - Blowout Response
Authors: de Azevedo Maia Frederico , de Paula Lima Heitor Rodrigues
Published: September 2012

The Incident response of the oil industry is an activity that may represent a reduction of millions of dollars in loss, if an Incident happens, and an effective management system is of top importance to survive in this kind of business.

One of the most important emergency scenarios in this branch of industry is the loss of well control - blowout - in the drilling phase. The lack of effective well control during well drilling operations has the highest potential risk in the oil industry. This paper presents the methodology used for Incident Management in the well drilling phase, with focus on blowout. The methodology is based on the fact that Incident response has two important phases: initial and continued response. For the initial phase, where about 95% of incidents are resolved, a thourowly rehursed and sedimented First Response plans for the identified emergency scenarios, trained teams on this predefined response actions and the deployment of the associated resources are curxial.

For the continued response, when the actions pre-established for the First phase require adjustment, considering new dynamic variables present on the incident it will be necessary run a management system with capabilities to deal with this new complex enviroment.

For this second phase, the use of such management model for the Incident becomes a priority factor. The fact of the variables that are ocurring in the incident are difficult to predict, requires a management model to manage based on the information available, and should generate efective response actions.
Proactive Resilience Based Indicators: The Case of the Deepwater Horizon Accident
Authors: Øien Knut , Nielsen Liv
Published: September 2012

The opening of the Barents Sea for oil and gas exploration and development has been a controversial topic of social debate in Norway, particularly due to environmental and fisheries interests. A zero tolerance regime for oil spills has been introduced in this Northern Region, which means that every effort should be made to avoid oil spills. Eni Norge is presently developing the Goliat oil field in the Barents Sea and production is planned to start in 2013. The Goliat field is the very first production oil field in the Barents Sea.

SINTEF has developed a method for establishing proactive safety indicators for monitoring of risk of oil spills at the Goliat field. As all possible accident scenarios cannot be foreseen in advance, particularly with new challenges such as oil production in Arctic areas, Eni Norge needs to prepare for the unexpected. This is why a resilience perspective (i.e. capability of recognizing, adapting to, and coping with the unexpected) has been pursued in developing the safety indicators. The potential benefit of the proposed method has been demonstrated using the Deepwater Horizon accident as an evaluation case. The main difference from other similar work is the focus on coping with the unexpected – building on the research on resilience.

The information provided in this paper is applicable to any development and use of proactive safety indicators in the oil and gas industry. The first application – also used during the development of the method – is the Goliat oil field in the Barents Sea. The paper presents the conclusions from the evaluation of the safety indicator method using the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident as case. The evaluation shows the relevance of this resilience based method, in particular the general resilience issues being a central part of the method. It shows that indicators for the proposed general issues could have provided early warnings for the Deepwater Horizon accident. The significance of the work is the provision of (resilience based) proactive safety indicators to prevent accidents in the future.
Developing a Partnership between a Major Oil Company and the Scientific Community through the Involvement of a Corporate Foundation Dedicated to Biodiversity
Authors: Fournier Laure , Najib Muhammad , Miné Jacques , Colin Géraldine
Published: September 2012

1992 – The Earth Summit at Rio has ended. The call to action has sounded for an industrial Group with a large international scope. TOTAL makes the project a reality by creating, the same year, a corporate Foundation dedicated to the environment and specifically to marine biodiversity.

The aim of such a Corporate Foundation is to allow participation in activities that promote public and scientific interest, both outside the industrial and commercial areas of the Company.

The Foundation for Biodiversity of the Sea has continued its commitment in this area for nearly twenty years. In supporting programs to understand and preserve marine biodiversity, it has relied on three linchpins – biodiversity knowledge, protection of threatened species and ecosystems and public awareness, as well as a worldwide network of scientists.

Partnering to develop biodiversity scientific projects is of mutual interest to science and industry. Some examples of partnership or financial support to scientific projects linked to the inventory/protection of biodiversity are presented to illustrate the commitment and philosophy of TOTAL. These different initiatives will be described from the initial selection by a board of experts, the assessment of the initiative in progress and the establishment of scientific conclusions following the total completion of the initiative.

In 2008, alongside the Foundation has continued its strong commitment dedicated to marine biodiversity, it was decided to extend its philanthropic actions in other areas as health, community support and culture.
Solving an Acute Problem and Developing a Long-Term Sustainable Solution for an Operational Facility Supporting the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Large Alex , Serra Jordi , Letlow Myna , Marczak Janette
Published: September 2012

An oilfield service company has been operating a site in Knowsley, Liverpool, UK for more than 20 years. The site was first developed during WWII as a Royal Ordnance Factory, and since that time has been used almost continually for the manufacture of specialty chemicals (including organic chemicals, organotin compounds, and lead-based compounds) by various companies.

Historical use and disposal practices have resulted in significant subsurface impacts including the presence of free-phase hydrocarbons (LNAPL) and mobile organotins within a complex geological and hydrogeological setting. Despite a number of efforts over the years to characterize and address site contaminants, issues remained and required clarification to resolve the regulatory roadblock that was preventing successful closure of the on-site remediation.

This case study presents the results of the recent successful efforts to develop a robust and defensible conceptual site model, highlighting the key lessons learned in terms of data assessment, integration and visualization. Two important areas of focus include: Engaging with the regulators on a pragmatic, risk-based approach to managing LNAPL remediation. This included developing a remedial strategy focused on understanding whether there are actual risks rather than the mere presence of LNAPL.Understanding the relationship and interaction of tributyl-tin (TBT) with LNAPL, where the LNAPL was acting as a preferential solvent, enhancing the mobility of the TBT. As such, the risks and any subsequent remedial solution could not be considered as two separate problems and an integrated strategy was developed.

The use of risk-based approaches, robust conceptual models and a detailed understanding of contaminant distribution are critical to the development of long term sustainable solutions to remediate contaminated sites.
An Innovative Approach for the Beneficial Reuse of Contaminated Sands and Cuttings from E&P Operations
Authors: Gioia G. , Cislaghi R. , Mastrapasqua A. , Mariani M. , Sandri S. , Germiniani E. , Battaglia A. , Dotelli G. , Zampori L. , Stampino P.
Published: September 2012

This work is focused on identifying a scenario for the reuse of drilling cuttings and contaminated sands coming from Block 403A, in Algeria (ROM and ZEA fields operated by GSA), which are typical oil exploration and production wastes (e&p waste). The selected treatment was the Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) process using Ordinary Portland Cement as binder matrix and addressed the stabilization of Petroleum Hydrocarbon contaminants. The leaching of organic contaminants from stabilized waste product treated with Portland cement has been reported in some publications. Leaching test results have shown relatively high release of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon [1] and methanol 2-chloroaniline [2] and [3].

The mix design consisted in different concrete monoliths prepared to simulate the forms for the future waste reuse made of different ratios of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), waste -drilling cuttings (DC) or contaminated sands (CS), superplasticizer (SP) and fly ash (FA). A testing framework was applied to assess the mineralogical composition, microstructural features, leaching behavior as well as the mechanical and physical properties of the stabilized waste.

A mineralogical characterization of the cement pastes highlighted the presence of typical hydration products, along with the phase of anhydrous Portland Cement, which are probably related to the detrimental effects on the hydration process caused by contaminants. Microscopic observations suggested that the addition of fly ash should not result in performance improvement and that the cement pastes prepared using a lesser amount of water due to the addition of a superplasticizer exhibited the lowest porosity which strongly influence concrete performance. Organic contaminants are immobilized through a physical entrapment within the binder matrix and sorption onto the surface of binder hydration products given that no contaminants were measured into the eluates. Compressive strength grades measured on pastes prepared with superplasticizer are higher than the ones prepared without the water reducing admixture. Additional criteria to select the best recipe are related to the working applicability, sustainability and optimization of the production process at full scale.
Building Energy Efficiency into the Design and Retrofit of Facilities
Authors: Rowbottom Ronald , Kuykendall Dina
Published: September 2012

Energy efficiency in building design is an ongoing and continuously evolving process as state-of-the-art technology and standards develop over time. To maintain best-in-class facilities, energy efficiency must be incorporated into the design of new construction, and based on the principle of continuous improvement for building standards and specifications. In addition to design principles for new construction, companies need to routinely review existing facilities to incorporate retrofits based on criteria such as return on investment, energy costs and reliability, life cycle replacement of existing equipment and structures, and greenhouse gas emissions along with other environmental impacts.

This paper describes the integration of sustainable building specifications and energy efficiency programs into both new construction standards and guidelines for facility retrofits. Critical aspects include: Developing sustainable building specifications to meet internal company requirements for new construction.Identifying energy improvement opportunities through energy audits and use of best management practices for facility retrofits.Conducting equipment life cycle analysis to calculate return on investment (ROIs) based on amortized annual cash flow projections.

The process is based on internationally recognized standards such as the ASTM International E60 standard "Specification for Minimum Environmental, Social and Economic requirements for Building and Promoting Sustainability".

Case studies are presented to illustrate how a company's energy reduction program began and evolved during a two-year period. An additional case study will highlight the application of retrofits at 67 facilities reducing annual energy consumption by 9.5 million kilowatt hours (KWh), eliminating 6,534 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing annual energy costs by USD $817,000.

The use of measurement and tracking tools is critical for determining energy reduction results and effects on carbon footprints. This paper also describes the company's tracking system and how the data is used for internal and external sustainability reporting.
Numerical Modeling of Thermal Plume and Residual Chlorine Fate in Coastal Waters of the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Febbo Eric , Kolluru Venkat , Prakash Shwet , Adenekan Adeyinka
Published: September 2012

A 3-dimensional hydrodynamic model was developed to simulate thermal mixing zones and predict the fate of residual chlorine and chlorination by-products (CBPs) from industrial cooling water discharged to a shallow coastal environment influenced by strong tides and winds (the Arabian Gulf). This model is novel since the individual and cumulative effects of cooling water discharges from several outfalls are estimated in a single simulation instead of requiring separate model runs for each outfall. For thermal discharge, size and configuration of the thermal plume emerging from cooling water outfalls was modeled using the concept of probability plume analysis. For CBP formation, comparatively little is known about their characteristics in saline waters. A comprehensive study was devised that included laboratory experiments to quantify the kinetics of residual chlorine loss and subsequent formation of CBPs in seawater as well as extensive field data collection and testing of Arabian Gulf seawater samples for chlorine and CBPs in the vicinity of the discharges. Equations to describe site-specific chlorine reactions were developed to replicate observations. This empirical approach takes into account the complexity of the reactions between organic precursors and chlorine, which usually involve several parallel pathways leading to a great variety of CBP formation products. Analysis of lab and field data obtained in this study has enabled calibration of a site-specific numerical modeling tool that can be used to study transport and fate of various constituents in the coastal area.
Challenges In Choosing And Setting Up An Environmental Accounting System
Authors: Husdal Knut , Hille Øivind
Published: September 2012

Increasing reporting demands, audit trail requirements combined with a continuous focus on the environmental impact of operations are key drivers for operators to implement an environmental management and accounting system.

A variety of environmental data will have to be captured depending on geographical area, sensitivity, regulatory requirements and type of operations. This often becomes more detailed and complicated than first envisioned.

These are just a few of several challenges to be aware of when choosing and implementing an EMS and errors are often done.

This is a short walkthrough of the challenges in choosing and setting up an environmental accounting system together with the authors’ recommendations and alerts for potential pit falls. We have observed several expensive real world mistakes and we hope this paper can help operators avoid some of these mistakes in the future. It is based on the authors’ extensive experience in designing, setting up and implementing environmental accounting systems for 25 operating oil and gas companies in the North Sea.
Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain E & P Model
Authors: Overton Cindy
Published: September 2012

Supply chain issues represent one of the largest potential risks to E&P businesses. There is no discrimination based on size, or which segment of the industry your business occupies.

Supply chain management is not new – to varying degrees it's the tool used to ensure critical production needs are met, costs are managed and processes are streamlined. With few exceptions, this is still largely managed as a procurement and cost control issue in the E&P sector. Consideration of SR issues widens the court, and demands a new approach.

Best practice models for supply chain management reside in retailing and certain elements of that model translate to our business. Globally, E&P companies must deal with social investment, capacity building and technology transfer, and security impacting supply and quality. Domestically the issues have a more traditional bent. Because the geographic impacts are so diverse, it's important to design a process that addresses the issues faced by your organization.

This paper evaluates how E&P businesses currently integrate SR into supply chain management and compares that with best practice. A second, and perhaps more important part of this paper looks at how a company gets from its current traditional supply chain approach to one that has integrated the organization's sustainability goals into its practices, ensuring the broader needs of the organization are met.

The models laid out in this paper can be applied to any organization interested in integrating supply chain issues into the SR process.

Companies that integrate SR issues into traditional supply chain management organizations will have better clarity with respect to risk potential and will be in a better position to manage or mitigate those potential risks.

This paper provides a roadmap for companies who want to raise the level of performance in their supply chain organizations by integrating SR into the content and frame the effort around best practice methodology.
Environmental Governance and Regulation of the Oil Industry in Ghana: A Multi-Stakeholder Capacity Building Needs Assessment
Authors: Buchman Andrew , Slocum Dean , Boakye-agyei Kwame
Published: September 2012

Ghana is blessed with a wealth of new-found oil and gas resources. Discovery of the giant Jubilee field has given Ghana's leaders a sense of great opportunity and an equally great responsibility to avoid falling subject to the "oil curse". To help manage this balance, in 2010 the World Bank and the Norwegian government extended $58 million dollars in financing to help Ghana build systems to responsibly govern the development of its oil and gas resources. However, in putting this aid to good use Ghana must first understand and build consensus across various agencies and other stakeholders regarding its own needs for capacity building.

In 2011 Ghana's Ministry of Environment and Kosmos Energy undertook a "Needs Assessment of Capacity Building for Environmental Governance and Regulation of the Oil and Gas Industry" in an effort to establish this basis for progress. The study included interviews and workshops with dozens of stakeholders, and integration of the findings and recommendations of studies by government agencies, finance organizations, NGOs and other organizations regarding environmental governance in Ghana. The study identified ten high level need categories and specified 57 actions needed to make progress on strengthening the governance and regulatory systems to better manage future oil and gas activities. The Ministry intends to use the Assessment and associated Capacity Building plan as a needs-based foundation for building Ghana's capacity to better govern the environmental and social concerns associated with its oil boom.
Noise Reduction Interventions in the Norwegian Petroleum Industry
Authors: Nistov Aud , Klovning Reidulf , Lemstad Frank , Risberg Jan , Ognedal Tønnes A. , Haver Petter A. , Skogesal Aslaug J.
Published: September 2012

Noise exposure is still an important challenge to a safe and healthy work environment, both offshore and onshore. Studies over the last 10 years show that the noise exposure (expressed as the "average noise indicator") remains mainly unchanged with no significant reduction in the past decennium. Furthermore, several reports indicate that workers in the petroleum industry are exposed to high noise levels and the risk of developing noise-related hearing loss can't be neglected. Noise induced hearing loss is the most frequent reported work-related illnesses / injury reported to the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authorities (PSA). Although the industry has taken a number of measures and established action plans for noise mitigation in offshore facilities, the potential for further noise-reduction is substantial.

However, to be able to implement adequate risk reducing measures, monitoring the above parameters (the average noise indicator and noise induced hearing damages) is not sufficient. We suggest further focus on low-noise design and modification of installations and facilities, development of low-noise technology, implementation of noise exposure in cost-benefit analysis, and dissemination of knowledge related to noise induced hearing loss.

This paper presents a study designed to develop such best practices of interventions aimed to reduce noise induced injuries in the petroleum industry.

One key area is the use of handheld tools used for operations like rust removal, sand blasting, grinding etc. Other key areas are noise from process plants, noise related to off-shore helicopter transport and noise exposure during subsea operations. Individual susceptibility to noise induced injuries is addressed as well as noise protection (barrier control) and use of personal protective equipment.

The study is performed in cooperation between the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (on behalf of the operators on the Norwegian continental shelf), the Federation of Norwegian Industries (NI) as well as the major unions in the Norwegian petroleum industry organised as a tri-partite project.
Addressing Cardiovascular Disease – A Global Employer's Approach to Non Communicable Diseases
Authors: Davis-Street Janis , Manlapaz Girlie , Shannon Amelia , Fagade Olubukunola A.
Published: September 2012

Non-Communicable Diseases – The Global Emergency

"Cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases are no longer the diseases of the wealthy. Today, they hamper the people and the economies of the poorest populations even more than infectious diseases. This represents a public health emergency in slow motion." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

Non-communicable diseases cause 60% of all deaths globally, 80% of which are in low- and middle-income countries and are a major cause of poverty, a barrier to economic development, and a neglected global emergency1. These diseases, and their associated risks, negatively impact productivity, medical costs and safety. In September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly convened a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung diseases. Chevron is tackling non-communicable diseases, specifically cardiovascular disease and diabetes, by modeling workforce programs after our successful communicable disease initiatives. This integration of our focus in global public health to include the non-communicable diseases is consistent with Chevron's holistic approach to health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major global public health issue – According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CVDs are the number one cause of death globally2. The WHO predicts that by 2030, almost 24 million people will die from CVDs, mainly from heart disease and stroke. Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionally affected with deaths occurring almost equally in men and women. Taken in combination with an aging workforce, these statistics are alarming and make strategic sense for Chevron to address CVDs and their preventable and treatable risk factors.
Available Technologies to Prevent Cell Phone Use while Driving
Authors: Catten Corey
Published: September 2012

In this paper, I describe the available technologies to monitor and/or prevent employees from using their cell phones while driving. I present pros and cons of the categories of solutions that innovative companies have recently brought to market to solve this problem. And I present real-world results from pilot programs along with driver and HSE manager feedback and reactions.

This information applies to HSE professionals working to improve in-vehicle safety and distracted driving.

There are three categories of solutions to monitor and/or prevent cell phone use while driving. The first category is Investigation in which the company compares the cell phone records to the driving records after-the-fact. The second category is Prevention wherein an application is installed on the employee's phone to disable the call and text features when the phone senses fast motion or something else indicating the employee is driving. I have counted more than 10 companies started in the past 2 years based with a primary business model in the Prevention category. The third category is Detection involving a receiving antenna placed inside the vehicle and tuned to cellular frequencies. Each category of solution has advantages and disadvantages. For example, the Prevention category has the advantage that the driver has no choice (literally cannot make a call) but it can only work on smartphones issued by the company; and not on regular cell phones.

Next I will present ways drivers sought to defeat the monitor system and if they were successful during real-world trials. And finally, the paper will show any measured safety improvement with using the various methods.

According to Bloomberg, global smartphone sales have reached 250,000,000 units per quarter as of Q3 2011 and the trend continues upward. With about 5 billion cellular subscribers (70% of the world population) the chances are good your employed drivers have a cell phone on their person while driving a company vehicle. The paper informs HSE professionals about the available solutions for preventing these cellular phone and smartphones from distracting drivers and causing injuries.