Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway – Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway has issued findings from a new well control incident study performed by SINTEF on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Analysis suggests significant gaps between causes in investigation reports and the views cited by professionals during interviews. PSA believes the industry should investigate more well control incidents and implement more technical measures.
Results from the investigations generally point to technology as the trigger for well control incidents, although many of the individuals interviewed focused more on the role of personnel than technology when accounting for the main causes of incidents.
Between 2008 and 2011, the number of well control incidents reported offshore Norway increased from 11 to 28. During 2003 to 2010, PSA says, 10 of a total of 146 well control incidents were investigated. Over the same period, there were 130 hydrocarbon leaks.
“Every well control incident is unique, which underlines the need for more investigation,” said Monica Ovesen, PSA discipline leader in drilling and wells.
“Even though there are many similarities between incidents such asDeepwater Horizon, the Montara accident off Australia and the gas leak on Gullfaks C in 2010, there are also considerable differences. And the more we investigate, the more we learn about the causes surrounding the incidents, and can thus implement the correct risk-reducing measures.”
Although the study shows that technology-related issues were to blame in many cases, the percentage of technical measures implemented by the industry remains low, PSA concludes. Several respondents stressed the need for improved systems for presentation of safety-critical information for drillers and drilling fluid engineers, in addition to better alarms.
“If safety-critical information regarding a well’s condition is spread to all involved parties in an operation, you have a better chance of ensuring that important information is not overlooked,” Ovesen said.
The study also highlights other challenges for the industry to address, notably framework conditions for improved collaboration and increased efforts in risk analyses. Good framework conditions means ensuring that conditions are facilitated in the best possible way for those involved in safety-critical tasks, and development of better systems to present the condition of wells. As for risk analysis, the study underlines the need for a method for assessing risk associated with changes that may arise during drilling operations.
7/10/2012
