The recent flood of hundreds of new rigs, boats and barges came with an equally big flood of new rig managers, many of whom lacked the experience and self-confidence to fight the safety fascists- a weakness which is costing offshore contractors millions.
According to government data, Katrina destroyed 46 oil platforms and damaged 100 pipelines in August 2005. Massive waves sunk entire platforms and snapped seabed anchors. Hurricane Rita dealt a second blow less than a month later.
Despite an intensified focus on safety since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and oil spill, nearly 20 smaller oil companies continue to score poorly on safety inspections and have had their offshore platforms placed on a special watch list, according to data obtained by WWL-TV from the federal government.
The Center for Offshore Safety hosted leaders from industry, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard last week for an in-depth discussion of efforts to enhance the safety of offshore oil and natural gas development.
OGP, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, has published new guidance to help companies aid one another in case of a major offshore incident, a move that strengthens the industry’s efforts to improve response to major incidents, should they ever occur again.
Following a 2012 explosion that killed three workers and three loss of well control incidents since February, federal government officials met with offshore oil and gas industry executives last week to talk about improving safety in offshore operations – particularly in shallow water in the Gulf of Mexico.
Although the ability of the oil industry to respond effectively to a spill has substantially improved – largely due to lessons learned by the industry and tougher government regulations – the job of ensuring safety is far from finished.
Licensees must have enough capital to handle disaster
March 26, 2013
The European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament have reached agreement on a new Directive that addresses the risks of major accidents from offshore oil and gas operations in EU waters.
In this exclusive interview, Holly Hopkins, Senior Policy Advisor at the American Petroleum Institute (API) speaks with Oil & Gas iQ’s Editor In Chief, Tim Haïdar, about the lay of the regulatory landscape after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Blowout.
If you weren’t able to make it to the Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) public hearing this week in Houston, Texas, you can now access that papers that were presented at it online.