Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway -- Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has approached the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) to discuss emergency preparedness measures on the Norwegian continental shelf.
In light of the ongoing problems in the Gulf of Mexico, NPD seeks clarification on how the industry would respond to a subsea blowout offshore Norway. It has also asked OLF to assess existing strategies for limiting the harmful effects of a blowout, and to identify potential for improvement.
“We must assess the need for new practices, for developing innovative technology and/or for a new understanding of response requirements,” says Magne Ognedal, PSA director-general.
“BP has done much on a trial and error basis, and Norway can take advantage of the lessons learned. The PSA has emphasized the need to secure such benefits to the OLF, which has confirmed that it will coordinate the work and takes the issue seriously.”
Following a report from US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, PSA has compared its 21 recommendations for the US offshore sector with the minimum requirements set forth in Norwegian regulations. It appears that most of Salazar’s proposed improvements have been largely implemented already in Norway.
However, a few points may warrant a more detailed evaluation in a Norwegian context.
PSA says it will constantly assess the need to make the Norwegian regulations and guidelines more precise and/or to improve methods for verifying technical condition on the basis of lessons learnt from the Deepwater Horizon incident.
06/17/2010
