bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing Environmental Challenges During the First Exploration Well for Shale Gas in Denmark
Authors: Chaîneau Claude-Henri , Eygun Christiane , Keown Rachel
Published: March 2016

The production of oil & gas from unconventional resources (oil & natural gas from source rock) in the United States, and more generally North America, especially for the last decade, has put a spotlight on an industry that has been reshaping the energy supply market in North America and creating a new business model. Shale gas development is characterised by the drilling and hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') of a large number of wells. Associated actual and potential impacts / risks on the natural and human environment have been assessed by scientists and regulators, and widely publicized by the media, based on case studies from the United States. This resulted in a heated debate among stakeholders, especially on water contamination, air emissions, radioactivity, noise and physical footprint.

Since 2010, interest in unconventional resources has grown in Europe with several companies revealing their interest in shale gas. Among them, TOTAL held an 80% stake (with the Danish state-owned oil and gas company Nordsøfonden owning the remaining 20 percent) in the license 1/10 (Nordjylland) license in Denmark. Denmark is known as a leading country in Europe where associations (especially green organisations) play an important role in the debate on the energy mix and on the protection of the environment. The onshore license covered an area of about 3000 km². Following geosciences studies, the first exploration well was drilled in 2015. The activities involved exploration drilling, with the potential for fracking in the future, which has caught the attention of stakeholders.

This paper presents the environmental studies concerning the exploration drilling activities on license 1/10: environmental baseline study, environmental impact assessment and monitoring. The studies methodology, outputs and permitting process are presented, as well as the concerns raised, in particular during public consultations. Monitoring results before, during and after drilling operations are presented and discussed with regards to stakeholders environmental concerns. The paper points out the lessons to be learned from this exploration phase for non conventional resources in a sensitive societal context. These findings can also be applied as shale gas exploration moves forward and later for a potential shale gas development phase.
Increasing Operational Managers' Awareness and Ability to Address Major Accident Risk by Means of Operational Training
Authors: Utvik Ole Harald , von Hirsch Maclean Helen , Haugland Arild J.
Published: March 2016

Major accidents are rare for any individual oil and gas company, but not for the industry. The individuals’ and organizations’ memory and awareness may therefore tend to diminish over time.

To increase awareness towards, and hence reduce the risk of major accidents, a series of training sessions have been conducted for the 28 on-shore management teams of the Statoil NCS operations in the period 2012-2015.

The competence and skills of individuals at management level who introduce risk and therefore also manage risk on each oil installation have been addressed. The program has been tailor made to the management teams with special emphasis on onshore managers including relevant managers from contractors. The training cases have been designed to be realistic and are based on their own work environment. The objective has been to enable the operational management team to understand and recognize the prerequisite and "nature" of a major accident "chain of events" and increase their ability to simultaneously address major incident potential, as well as daily risk. The top management has in the same period received training relevant to their roles and responsibilities.

The program increased the managers’ awareness, competence and skills towards major accident risk. The individual knowledge on major accident risk was strongest related to technical and sharp end issues compared to human, organizational and blunt end issues. The importance of and focus on the onshore preparation work, the blunt end, represented important learning for a majority of leaders. The acknowledgment of interdisciplinary understanding and importance of quality in the risk assessment and decision making yielded all groups to alter routines post training sessions. The inclusion of relevant contractors gave a positive effect in the understanding of how risk is transported between organizational units.

It is important to put major accident risk on the agenda at all levels in the organization. This paper reviews how Statoil NCS, through training of management teams, have addressed the individual and organizational knowledge and awareness towards major accident risk in normal operation.

The paper is written to share experience and get feedback that can enforce this effort.
Challenges with Free Fall Lifeboat Performance in Rough Weather; Analyses, Improvements and Operational Risk Reducing Measures for Use of Free Fall Lifeboats on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
Authors: Myrseth E. , Tronstad L.
Published: March 2016

Full scale testing and model testing of Free Fall Lifeboats (FFLB) have revealed weaknesses in performance of existing SOLAS certified lifeboats on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The weaknesses vary between the different lifeboat types, but are generally related to safe use in rough weather. It is not possible to perform full scale testing in rough weather conditions, thus new methods for analysis of performance in severe wind and wave conditions have been developed. These analyses have provided new knowledge for design development and safe use of FFLBs.

The analyses of the Free Fall Lifeboats (FFLB) are mainly concerned with the following issues: –Accelerations on the human body (G-forces) during drop–Structural strength, slamming loads and behaviour in submerged mode–Forward motion capability and manoeuvrability after surfacing–Release mechanisms, testing and improvements

The analyses have been compared with new design requirements to FFLB on the NCS. Performance standards for lifeboats on existing offshore units have been established, and limitations for use combined with risk reducing measures have been operationalized for Statoil's units.

The paper will present: –Experiences and lessons learned from testing and analyses of FFLBs–Methods for analyses of performance of FFLBs in various weather conditions–Performance standards for important safety parameters–Operational risk reducing measures implemented to ensure safe operations–Considerations related to modification/change-out of lifeboat systems offshore

The knowledge and solutions developed will improve safety and functionality of FFLBs used in harsh weather conditions. The paper will give examples of how the new knowledge has been operationalized in Statoil.
Training and Reinforcing Non-Technical Skills Using a Team Behavioural Marker Framework
Authors: Crichton Margaret , Moffat Scott , Crichton Lauren
Published: March 2016

This paper presents a team behavioural marker framework that categorises and defines team-based non-technical skills which are then used to observe, record, and debrief team performance. Some oil & gas companies have proactively taken steps to address non-technical skills by introducing training courses, aimed either at individuals or teams. Ideally, such courses incorporate simulator-based exercises so that attendees can put into practise the theories of non-technical skills described in the classroom. Post-exercise feedback, based on a formal behavioural marker framework, of observations of team performance is essential to reinforce non-technical skills. A team behavioural marker framework has been developed from evidence gathered from observations of 25 simulator-based exercises involving drilling teams, each with between eight and 14 team members including Drillers, Assistant Drillers, Toolpushers, Drilling Supervisors, Mud Engineers, Mud Loggers, and Cementers. The observations were classified into four categories: Team Situational Awareness, Teamwork and Communication, Team Decision Making, and Team Workload and Stress Management. Examples from each category were then sub-divided on a four-point scale ranging from ‘exceeds expectations’ to ‘well below expectations’. The framework has subsequently been tested out during observations of simulator-based exercises with drilling teams from different companies and has been found to be a valuable tool for debriefing and feedback purposes. Moreover, due to the opportunity to practise the integration of non-technical skills into tools and techniques, such as Tool Box Talks, Stop the Job, and Safety Briefings, as experienced during the exercises, the skills can be reinforced in the workplace. One of the challenges of improving safety by focusing on individual non-technical skills is that individuals may attend a course and return to the workplace intending to put new tools or techniques into practise. However if there is little understanding or appreciation of the skills by other team members, then such intentions can rapidly fade. One of the major benefits of team-based training, exercising, and debriefing, is that the actual team can reinforce expected behaviours on site. The framework can also be used to review team performance following both routine and non-routine operations.
Exploration Impact Assessment Toolkit: Maximising Efficiency Through Standardisation To Deliver Robust Impact Assessments
Authors: Westfall Shana
Published: March 2016

In many cases, impact assessments (IAs) for exploration activities must be conducted within restricted timeframes, with IA / permitting activities often on the critical path. To minimise the risk of costly delays, while ensuring consistent, robust assessments are conducted in all geographies, Shell commissioned Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to prepare a suite of standard tools to support the IA process for exploration. The objectives of these tools are to: ensure a consistent approach in exploration ventures;avoid the need to start from scratch each time, thus reducing the length of time and costs required to deliver IAs within the short time windows available in exploration;enable informed conversations at early stage with business leaders, Project leads, stakeholders and contractors earlier in the planning process about some of the potential impacts, mitigation and costs; andensure that mitigation measures can be included in contractor specifications.

Considering the objectives, ERM and Shell worked together to identify those elements of the IA process where the most meaningful efficiencies in standardisation could be made. Assessment tools were developed for application to exploration drilling and seismic surveys, taking into consideration any differences for onshore and offshore environments. The IA Exploration Toolkit consists of the individual tools shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 IA Exploration Toolkit Overview

The IA Exploration Toolkit has been used on several exploration projects by Shell so far. Based on the use on these exploration projects, projected benefits from using the toolkit include: IA reports that are of higher quality and quicker to review internally;up to approximately 20% reduction in the cost of the individual IAs; andimproved ability to meet very tight time windows for delivery, while not compromising on quality. It is estimated that using the IA Exploration Toolkit can save approximately one month from the IA delvery schedule.

Significant cost savings are being derived from use of the underpinning tools. For example, the pre-populated regulatory tables have been used to dramatically reduce the time for a regulatory assessment of the differences to international / corporate requirements (from 7 man-days to 1 man-day). The baseline decision trees have the potential to realise further significant savings by enabling early identification of baseline data requirements. For example, this would allow appraisal data gathering to be undertaken during exploration, using vessels mobilised in this phase. These cost savings, as well as the improved consistency in delivery of exploration IAs, demonstrate the value of this standardised approach towards impact assessment in exploration projects.
At-Risk Groups in the Norwegian Petroleum Industry - Analysis of Risk Exposure Using Survey Data
Authors: Heggland J. E. , Øren A. , Kråkenes T. , Tharaldsen J. E. , Dahle I.
Published: March 2016

This paper is a synopsis of an already published report by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA, 2014). It examines the distribution of risk and different HSE aspects, including physical and psychososcial aspects of the working enivironment and safety climate, among different groups in the Norwegian petroleum industry offshore and on onshore installations. The results are based on survey data from 2001/2007-2013 with 60 541 respondents. We find that lower scores on HSE aspects correlates with negative outcomes, such as self-reported injuries at work, sick leave and work related health complaints. This correlation is more pronounced in some identified professional groups, with younger employees, employees with temporary employment, and contractor employees. This indicates that these groups are more exposed to risk than others. Experiencing reorganisations or workforce reductions or redundancies were also strongly correlated to self-reported injuries at work. For at-risk groups scores on negative outcomes follow a negative trend. Not only does risk seem to be unequally distributed among different groups, the differences seem to become more pronounced over time.
Working in Conflict Zones: The Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Example
Authors: Nnadi Vincent G. , Isung Lawrence
Published: March 2016

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria accounts for the production of oil & gas which provides over 80% of the revenues to the Federal Government. There is the perception that these revenues do not directly benefit the oil bearing communities that continue to lack basic amenities. This contradiction raised issues of equity, access to oil resources, self determination and eventually a struggle for resource control.

The central government, in trying to address the agitations, deployed several measures including the principle of derivation in revenue sharing and much later the creation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). These measures could not properly address the issues as few resources filtered through to those communities that continue to bear the brunt of oil exploitation most notably environmental degradation.

The struggle increased in intensity with the passage of time and increase in awareness. The youths in the communities became more organized. As they could not see the government, they lunched vicious attacks on what or who they could see – the International Oil Companies or IOCs. The struggle gained popularity in the region and the activists acquired the name of "militants". This led to serious insecurity in the region with kidnappings, pipeline vandalism and consequent disruption of oil & gas output and revenues to the Nigerian Government.
The Relative Success of Three IVMS Implementation Strategies
Authors: Catten Corey , Johnson Casey
Published: March 2016

With 10 years of IVMS implementation experience, we have experimented with various strategies to support and/or operate an IVMS program. We can categorize each engagement into one of three types: customer lead, vendor lead, and embedded lead. We will explain the attributes of each of these strategies and the strategic thought processes underlying each. Next we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each, relative to each other, including a discussion about the strengths we expected, and the actual strengths we observed in retrospect. Finally, we present a high-level look-up table to pick an implementation strategy to match desired objectives based on the type of organization.
HSE Assessment of Contractor Supervisors: An Innovative Approach Based on Performance Audits, Self-Assessment and Metrics
Authors: Rivas Giovanni , Frattini Luca , giusto Manfredi
Published: March 2016

In the oil and gas business incidents are still raising. This is mainly due to the increase of men-hours worked by contractors.

In order to take an action involving leadership of the top and middle management of contractors, the methodology of Performance Audit and focus groups has been applied in some of our affiliate Companies.

The performance audits focus on the weak points of the Company field activities, such as some poor HSE performance in peculiar areas such as Construction. Evidences from metrics such as stop cards show which areas need improvements.

The audit programme implies a preliminary phase where a visit is planned together with two "escorts", coached by hazard spotting specialists. The escorts are two middle managers of the Company (mainly from Operations and Logistics).

On the basis of the safety interventions made, the two escorts prepared a high impact presentation which was delivered to the very top management of the company (CEO).

This methodology was able to make a mutual commitment between the two middle managers (escorts) and the CEO, who took leadership to enhance the HSE performance, after acknowledging it was his own fault (and no other's) if some HSE performances were poor.

The exercise was concluded by a focus group in which all company took consciousness of the issues and committed mutually with the CEO to take leadership at all Company's levels.

The paper illustrates how this methodology achieved the objectives to: Increase Company's leaders' understanding of the real status of HSE within their operations.Make the leaders owning the HSE issues and feeling compelled to act and change. Help intervening in front of unsafe acts.Improve performance.
An Innovative Approach for Stochastic Analysis of Blowout Inventories and Impacts
Authors: Dellarole Edoardo , Bonuccelli Michele , Frattini Luca , Scataglini Luciano , Borello Lorenzo , Petrone Annamaria
Published: March 2016

The uncontrolled eruption of a well is one of the most critical accidents that could happen in the oil and gas industry. Thanks to challenging R&D activities and collaborations, eni Upstream and Technical Services has developed and implemented Rainbow, an integrated methodology for blow-out risk analyses. As the Methodology has been applied in a wide range of HSE studies, the database of the analyzed blowout scenarios has been increasing for about 15 years, including for example release rates, total oil spill volumes and impact parameters (e.g. beached volumes for offshore scenarios and rainout area extension for onshore blowouts).

Considering, for example, oil rates (BOPD), they could extend in a range as wide as 5 orders of magnitude, therefore a probabilistic analysis has been performed in order to evaluate the stochastic distribution of the above mentioned impact parameters.

Applying short-cut models included in the Rainbow Methodology, the database of the analyzed blowout events has been integrated in order to include all potential scenarios. Moreover, in order to take into account both the local parameters affecting the well blowout frequency and the different flow paths (i.e. in-well geometry) distribution, a complete frequency assessment has been carried out.

The stochastic distributions of the following parameters have been obtained as results: total spill volume (all the scenarios).extension of impacted areas involved in the oil fallout (for onshore wells).length of impacted shoreline, oil volumes beached and open sea impacted area extension (for offshore wells, considering both underwater and atmospheric releases).

The distribution curves have been clustered distinguishing among: HPHT and normal wells.Subsea and atmospheric.Crude oil and gas condensate wells.

The above information can be useful for several purposes, e.g.: To categorize wells and potential blowouts in a rational risk ranking.To support the Company clustering procedure focused on the cost evaluation of the blowout events.To compare the blowout impact distribution with other accidents associated to hydrocarbon releases in the environment (e.g. tanker/ship, pipeline, storage, etc.)

The comparison between the stochastic distribution curves and some real accidents (including Macondo blowout) occurred in the oil and gas industry is also presented in the Paper.
Aligning Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Impact Mitigation with the Operational Lifecycle of the Nikaitchuq Site (North Slope, Alaska)
Authors: Speranza D. , Gerber V. , Mickiewicz C. , Grande W. , Thomas J. , Hoppe K. , Pedroni P. M.
Published: March 2016

Recognition and assessment of the dependencies and potential impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) combined with their effective management through targeted action plans, results in significant benefits to an oil and gas company. The benefits are cost minimization, improved access to new resources and reputation enhancement. Operating in a BES-responsible manner is particularly significant when conducting exploration and production activities in sensitive environments like the Alaskan North Slope where eni Upstream, through its affiliate Eni US Operating Co. Inc., is the operator of the Nikaitchuq site since 2007.

In compliance with eni Upstream BES management practice and oil and gas sector guidelines, BES evaluations are integrated along the Nikaitchuq asset lifecycle. Therefore, the BES assessment and impact mitigation are aligned with the project timeline and periodically updated following the evolution of the operations. This approach enables effective management of BES issues from the exploration phase, through development and production, until decommissioning the project. In 2009, during the development phase, a biodiversity assessment and action plan (BAP) was performed in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International (FFI). The BAP was aimed at assessing and mitigating potential impacts associated with the construction of production and processing facilities. When the Nikaitchuq site transitioned to production, there was the need to align the assessment and the BAP with the new project lifecycle phase. The project transition provided a good opportunity to apply newly developed tools that incorporated the most recent BES conservation concepts and international best practices.

This paper illustrates how alignment was achieved and establishes a foundation for the update of the Nikaitchuq BES assessment and the re-design of the BAP from the development phase to the current project lifecycle phase. Relevant changes in the operational, environmental and social context since 2009 were identified; engineering solutions and operational practices implemented to mitigate environmental impacts, and the outcomes of the 2009 BAP monitoring/restoration activities were reviewed and evaluated against the mitigation hierarchy framework.

Based on these, BES features potentially impacted by the present Nikaitchuq operations will be identified and prioritized for inclusion into the updated BAP suited for the current operational phase. Incorporation of the updated BAP into the Environmental Management Plan of the site and its adjustment, based on the monitoring/restoration outcomes, will foster continuous improvement in BES management anddemonstrate that the Nikaitchuq site is operated with No Net Loss/Net Positive Impact on biodiversity.
Hands-Free Implementaion in the Global Supply Chain Operations of an Oilfield Services Provider
Authors: Leong W. F. , Wells M. , Oliver C. , Ross C. , Lancaster D. , Saltz S. , Dunaway P.
Published: March 2016

The paper details the hands-free implementation journey in the supply chain unit of an oilfield services provider, which includes global manufacturing, logistics, customer service and assembly/maintenance and overhaul (AMO) operations. Challenges in hands-free implementation are presented and examples of some of the successes of the hands-free implementation strategy are highlighted. Hand injury data from 2011 to 2015 is analyzed to provide an overview of the progress of the hands-free initiative in the global supply chain operations. The introduction of the hands-free concept since 2014, which focuses on a three-pronged approach, in addition to the rollout of the Hi-5 Hand Saver concept which defines hands-free operations, will be evaluated qualitatively. Critical programs that support hands-free implementation, such as the Hands-Free Machining program, is reviewed with data relating to the hands-free machining effort used to evaluate the success of the program and in formulating the next evolution of the program. Significant improvement has been observed in reducing hand injuries resulting from machining operations as a result of the Hands-Free Machining program. The hands-free strategy has shown promising results with significant improvement in hand injury incident rates since its introduction. Sustainable hand safety performance can only come about with a holistic combination of hearts and minds, a competent workforce that works safely with their hands, thus providing viable and realistic solutions to working hands-free. The intense focus on hands-free has brought about a paradigm shift in managing hand injury risks in supply chain operations and serves as a worthy model for application in addressing hand injury concerns in other aspects of oilfield operations.
Clean Sea - Underwater Robotic Technology for Environmental and Asset Integrity Monitoring in Deep and Ultra-Deep Water
Authors: Gasparoni Francesco , Aiello Gennaro , Lainati Andrea , Sechi Armando , Maddalena Danilo , Grasso Tiberio , Bruni Federico , Filippini Michele , Miozza Luigi
Published: March 2016

Clean Sea is an advanced robotic technology aimed at providing a cutting-edge and highly cost-effective solution to the increasing demand for both environmental and asset integrity monitoring in new and more challenging oil and gas developments, notably deep water and arctic areas.

Clean Sea is built around a unique concept of hybrid, modular and low-logistics ROV/AUV, easily reconfigurable for several applications, including (but not limited to): environmental monitoring tasksautomatic water samplingdetection and accurate localization of hydrocarbon leakages (from flowlines, SPS templates, etc.)seabed acoustic surveysvisual inspection of pipelines, SPS, jacketscathodic protection surveyspipe tracking (buried and exposed)

This (patented) technology originates from a successful R&D project sponsored by eni and eni Norge and carried out by tecnomare between 2011 and 2013. Clean Sea technology was successfully proven over comprehensive trials carried out during 2014 and 2015 in environmentally different sites such as Lake Vattern (Sweden), offshore Hammerfest (Norway), Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan), Sicily Channel and Adriatic Sea (Italy). The successful trials have proven the viability of Clean Sea concept as well as the benefits that this technology will provide to the oil and gas industry in terms of operational flexibility, cost savings, asset integrity preservation, performances, safely operations in critical environments.

Following the successful conclusion of the trials program, Clean Sea is currently transitioning to fully operational deployment, allowing the substitution of traditional ROV-based techniques and costly dedicated vessels. Moreover, the modularity of the system is fully exploited by continuous addition of new functionalities, in pursuit of the strategic evolution of the initial basic concept.

The paper provides an overview of Clean Sea technology and advancements, and explains the basic concept of its operational capabilities. Examples of the most significant results achieved will be provided, including details on the on-going development program. Case studies for Clean Sea operation will also be presented and commented.
A Collaborative Approach to Infectious Disease Preparedness: The IDRAM Initiative
Authors: Viliani Francesca , Edelstein Michael , Omaar Abbas , Dar Osman , Buckley Emmeline , Tariq Hisham , Sadique Zia
Published: March 2016

As the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has demonstrated, outbreaks of infectious diseases pose a significant threat to the extractive industry. Extractive companies often operate in emerging infectious disease (EID) ‘hotspots’. The nature of extractive projects in these hotspots causes greater interaction between animals and humans which in turn, is thought to create a greater risk of infectious outbreaks. The Infectious Disease Risk Assessment and Management (IDRAM) initiative supports the extractive industry to better understand, assess and mitigate this risk through fostering partnerships between the industry, public health systems and other relevant stakeholders.

During 2014 and 2015, IDRAM field tested planning and audit tools among four leading mining companies in the Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo; produced a qualitative study to better understand the industry's perception of EID-related risks; and conducted three desktop outbreak simulation exercises involving industry and other stakeholders. An ongoing economic evaluation study will quantify the economic impact of the Ebola outbreak at the company level. This study will focus on a single large mining company that has continued to operate throughout the epidemic. A literature review exploring past and current collaborative efforts between extractive industries and national health systems related to health emergencies is also being carried out. This will provide strong evidence-based best practice for effective partnership.

These activities have highlighted that although the industry recognizes a need for collaborative approaches to managing EID risks, its response remains focused "inside the fence" with an emphasis on limiting contact between humans, wildlife and domestic animals and maintaining hygiene standards. As a result, companies are still vulnerable to disease outbreaks, due to a lack of coordination and engagement with stakeholders "outside the fence". In public health crises such as the recent Ebola outbreak, no single organization has the capacity to deal with global outbreaks on its own.

Through future activities, IDRAM will facilitate oil and gas sector's contribution to national preparedness and response capabilities for EIDs and pandemics, thereby contributing to health system strengthening and improving the sustainability and coordination of disease control efforts in countries where the sector is active.
Fact vs. Fiction - A Barrier Based Approach to Identify Leading Indicators
Authors: Ahluwalia Amar , Pierce Marisa
Published: March 2016

Currently, many incidents or near misses are investigated using Root Cause Analysis (RCA) or other techniques. We applied the barrier-based bowtie diagram in a novel manner for a customer in the nuclear industry so that they could determine the weak links in their work practice procedures for reactor isolation during maintenance. This paper discusses the application of the same semi-quantitative methodology to evaluate blowout/well release incidents that are recorded in SINTEF/PSA databases. Additionally, the results of third-party investigations will also be considered in the study. The paper seeks to accomplish following goals:

Determine trends with barrier degradation with well blowouts Comparison of reported results in the database vs. results from third-party investigations Highlight the differences in outcomes between the databases vs. the investigation results Demonstrate the visual effectiveness of a bowtie to summarize the results of reviewing multiple incidents in order to identify common factors contributing to incidents and near misses and assess the priorities for strengthening or adding barriers.

The first step is to collect incidents from SINTEF/PSA database and third-party incident investigation reports. The next step would be the development of two generic bowtie diagrams for loss of primary containment of hydrocarbons with one diagram based on database results and the other diagram based on report results. Then, these diagrams are annotated for a set of incidents or near misses recorded in the database. This is accomplished by a review of the sequence of events for each incident to determine where/when the barrier failure(s) occurred. The failed barriers are then tallied and categorized to determine the patterns associated with these failures. The two diagrams would then be compared to illustrate gaps between database recordings and third-party findings.

The findings from application of this methodology to the nuclear power facility accomplished the following:

identified the common factors contributing to incidents or near misses reported over a period of time revealed which barriers were effective in detecting or preventing the top event identified priorities for strengthening or adding barriers

It is anticipated that the use of this same approach in reviewing well blowouts will identify gaps between database recordings and third-party findings. It will proactively give insight into trends that might have previously been unnoticed.

The methodology could highlight failure of interfaces of different parties involved in drilling and improve communications. This will also lead to better collaboration and increase efforts in risk analysis. It can also help industry identify human factors associated with culture, organization, or layout between different facilities or regions based on the trends.
Ebola Outbreak Preparedness and Response - A Nigerian Oil and Gas Company Experience
Authors: Aliyu B. , Ben-Edet A. , Abbah E. , Jones S. , Diara M. , Buford D. , Ngunjiri S.
Published: March 2016

Objectives / scope

A framework of Company's strategic and calculated preparedness and response to outbreaks with diminished adverse outcomes is presented. It is based on Nigeria Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak and its potential impact on country oil and gas operations. It describes the model of engaging stakeholders in all stages of an outbreak, culminating in lessons learned.

Methods, procedures, process

The EVD outbreak had potential for cataclysmic impact on workers, families and communities in Nigeria. The Company leveraged on a hybrid of outbreak management framework based on a pre-existing infectious disease outbreak management, pandemic planning and stakeholder engagement.

A series of partnerships was established to provide an effective response towards protecting workers and their families; including working partnerships with Ebola Emergency Operations Center (EEOC), International SOS, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Baylor College of Medicine. In-house capacity building was enhanced and included training Company healthcare staff in safeguarding their health and safety, while establishing ‘fever assessment’ centers.

Results, observations, conclusions

The strategic preparedness and response is described with the successful partnerships and enhanced alignment of key objectives, between in-country management, internal and external stakeholders. Communication and coordination with Company headquarters and external experts resulted in extensive training of health care providers and development of risk-based educational material for workers and dependents. In total about 1400 employees and healthcare providers were trained. The Company also achieved 100% worksite screening procedures which were implemented throughout the duration of outbreak resulting in no loss time recorded due to the outbreak.

Provision of support to Nigerian government including efforts on contact tracing, led to the national recognition of Company for her community investments. Positive and proactive influence by partnering with the oil and gas industry and government to respond to the outbreak, ensuring robust business continuity planning and testing, showed the company's dedication to honoring commitment to our partners and stakeholders whilst protecting the workers and families.

Paper benefits

The experiences and lessons learned are important to share widely. They will assist others in the industry as preparations are made to attain readiness to deal with future public health challenges (not just EVD). An effective response requires the establishment of several partnerships across a wide range of stakeholders
The Bolivian Chaco Region: A Challenging Societal Context
Authors: Trigo Cynthia
Published: March 2016

This paper, empirically based on field experience at the Incahuasi Project, which is currently in development in the Chaco Region of Bolivia, presents the challenges of implementing a technical systematic approach in order to manage in an efficient manner social and Human Rights risks and impacts in a vulnerable, shifting, unpredictable and often tense societal environment.

It also points out the need to create awareness on technical and operational teams regarding social and Human Rights risks and to integrate the societal factor into executive and operations decision making to prevent and mitigate those risks. Inadequately integrating a societal aspect within the company's risk management system potentially puts the company at risk due to conflicts that could lead to operational blockages, additional costs, risks to the company's reputation and finally a deterioration of relationships with the stakeholders. In essence, the challenge and difficulty is to have a technical approach for managing non-technical risks so that to transform company's culture.
Subsea Dispersant Injection - Summary of Operationally Relevant Findings From a Multi-Year Industry Initiative
Authors: Brandvik P. J. , Johansen Ø. , Davies E. J. , Leirvik F. , Krause D. F. , Daling P. S. , Dunnebier D. , Masutani S. , Nagamine I I. , Storey C. , Brady C. , Bellore R. , Nedwed T. , Cooper C. , Ahnell A. , Pelz O. , Anderson K.
Published: March 2016

This paper presents novel results regarding the effectiveness of subsea dispersant injection relevant for operational guidance, decision making and to improve existing models describing the environmental fate and behavior of subsea releases of oil and gas. More specifically, the paper presents data from a comprehensive set of laboratory experiments to evaluate the formation, fate, and transition of dispersed oil droplets in the water column during a subsea oil and gas blowout in combination with subsea dispersant injection (SSDI).

Many sub-sea well blowout oil and gas release scenarios form relatively large oil droplets (multiple millimeters), which then rapidly rise through the water column to form thick slicks on the ocean surface, potentially very near the source. On the other hand, smaller oil droplets (< 500 microns) rise more slowly and can stay suspended in the water column for days to weeks. Dispersant injection is therefore warranted to reduce the potential for floating oil and associated volatile hydrocarbons that may threaten worker health and safety, and reach ecologically and economically sensitive surface water and shoreline environments. The oil that disperses into the water column may pose temporary elevated exposures to organisms in the immediate area, but research and experience has shown that those exposures are rapidly mitigated by the effects of dilution and microbial degradation of the dispersed oil.

The results of our laboratory studies, which examined the influence of different variables on the initial oil droplet size in an oil release scenario (including oil release velocity, dispersant dosage, dispersant injection method, oil temperature, high pressure, gas-to-oil ratio, oil- and dispersant characteristics), revealed that dispersant injection is highly effective at reducing droplet size. Our data also fit a new modified Weber Number scaling algorithm that can be used to calculate initial oil droplet size at field scales. Model simulations using the new modified Weber number scaling indicate that SSDI can reduce droplet size by an order of magnitude which serves to delay and significantly reduce surfacing of oil from large oil spills.

In summary, this paper describes the results of a substantial research program that studied the effectiveness of SSDI. This research shows that SSDI applied directly to oil flowing from a well blowout is a highly efficient oil spill response tool to substantially reduce the surfacing of oil by reducing oil droplet size thereby enhancing worker safety and providing a net environmental benefit.
A Cross Sector Approach to Managing Biodiversity Impacts
Authors: Johnston Mark , Romer Ruth
Published: March 2016

With the ever increasing concerns regarding the global loss in biodiversity, there is a growing need and expectation for developments to improve the way that biodiversity impacts are managed. By working in collaboration across oil & gas, mining and financial sectors, the CSBI has developed clear practical tools and guidance. The CSBI pools expertise and experience from three sectors to promote scientific, innovative and practical applications of the mitigation hierarchy to manage project-related impacts on biodiversity. This paper describes an integrated approach for improving the way in which projects avoid, reduce, restore and offset biodiversity impacts, and how this can be applied in relation to project timeline and underpinned by the collection of baseline biodiversity data.
Developing a Sustainable HSE Culture - Learnings from the Corrib HSE Journey
Authors: Trench Jarlath , Colleran Peter
Published: March 2016

The Corrib Project is one of Shell's longer running construction projects. In the last 10 years Shell E&P Ireland Ltd (SEPIL) has worked with many contractors and has been exposed to varying levels of HSE performance. Working on HSE Culture during the project phase is always challenging, but when the project extends for over a decade the learnings can be countless. This paper shares our experiences of what worked well / not so well, and what we believe are the key enablers to creating a Goal Zero culture.

SEPIL implemented many processes, programs, initiatives, etc. to drive the Corrib HSE Culture. Highlights include –Leadership engagement evolved over the project duration from game changing ‘Directors HSE Engagement Sessions’ led by the Project Director to Asset Leadership Workshops where leaders developed internally driven "I" statements on how they will change their personal behaviour, or show up as a Safety leader.–Intervention Training is key, as the co-worker is normally the person best placed to prevent an incident. Training aimed to empower workers to intervene confidently with all parties on site. Training was initially conducted using external consultants but evolved over time to on-site personnel delivering the training themselves.–A ‘Safety Starts with Me’ campaign (18 months) to reinforce that ownership for HSE is at the front line and to seek more support from the workforce. The campaign included "Mystery Visitors" to artificially break minor safety rules in order to provoke intervention from the workforce and assess the willingness of the workforce to intervene.–Road Safety Programs led by a Road Safety Task Force. Programs adopted include free defensive driving training, road safety DVD's (for local roads), stand downs and in-vehicle monitoring systems.–Activity Safety Review Panels for all non-routine construction operations. This Shell process, where the contractor presents their HSE Plan in detail, was used across the board from seismic to tunnelling and added significantly to the safety performance within the Company.

Developing a behavioural safety culture or HSE Culture takes years. There are no short-cuts. Key challenges we recognize are: –A "sheep dip approach" doesn't work.–The task force approach works. On a project with over 20 million km driven we saw road traffic incidents fall from being a regular occurrence to zero incidents.–Early intervention / involvement of contractor companies to get their buy-in is key. Company / Contractor leadership engagement is critical.–Interventions are very personal; some individuals like them and can do them, some don't and can't.–Location specific tailored HSE training programs delivered by the in-house HSE team and workforce are as good as any consultants.–Useful Safety Observation programs rely on an agreed purpose for the programs, support from Senior Leaders and trust.
A Decision Support Model for Platform Decommissioning: Successful Applications in California and Implications for Worldwide Use
Authors: McCann Bridget , Henrion Max , Bernstein Brock
Published: March 2016

As companies around the world plan for the future decommissioning of oil and gas platforms, a case study from California provides a model in terms of both process and the use of decision support tools. The question of how to decommission California's 27 offshore oil platforms, like many issues related to offshore oil and gas in California, began as a major public controversy. We created a decision analysis software tool (PLATFORM) to clarify and evaluate decision strategies as part of a larger policy analysis conducted for the California Ocean Science Trust. The in-depth analysis focused on two main options—complete platform removal and partial removal to 85 feet below the water line, with the remaining structures to be converted in place as an artificial reef to preserve their biological value. PLATFORM was key in structuring and performing analyses of the impacts of each option (e.g., on costs, fishery production, air emissions) and greatly improved the team's productivity. Sensitivity analysis showed that different preferences, especially about the importance of strict compliance with lease agreements, is much more important in selecting the preferred option than is uncertainty about specific outcomes, such as decommissioning costs. The project's results affected the decision to pass legislation enabling an expanded California "rigs-to-reefs" program, which includes a mechanism for sharing cost savings between operators and the State. The decision model presented here for the 2016 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Social Responsibility can be adapted readily to other marine environments and could support regulatory decision making for decommissioning worldwide.