From Reservoir Characteristics, Through Environmental Risk Assessments to Oil Spill Response – Lessons Learned from a Comprehensive Systematic Development by an Operator

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 293386
Author(s):  
G. M. Skeie ◽  
T. Sørnes ◽  
F. Engen ◽  
A. Boye ◽  
A.L. Heggø ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Response Level ◽  
Reservoir Characteristics ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Consensus Values ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Statoil is the largest operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, is operating 42 assets and has an exploration activity in the order of 20-25 wells per year. In 2011, Statoil decided to undertake a full review of the basis for the oil spill response level for their activities, and establish a fully documented, transparent documentation of their approach. In Norway, operators are required to perform environmental risk and oil spill emergency preparedness assessments for all activities, as a basis for oil spill response plans. These assessments are of a complex and quantitative nature, and it has for a while been realised that there needed to be a better link between well characteristics and the oil spill response level. In the early phase of the development, it was decided to separate issues according to their nature. Issues related to company policy on overall level of spill response were identified and addressed in a separate process, as were issues relating to science and technology. From this, further work proceeded on the three main topics a) Policy decisions on spill response scaling criteria, b) algorithms for calculating effect of various response measures, and c) fact finding on issues of operational windows, capacities and effectiveness. As part of the development, all Company fields in production were reviewed, and oil spill response level adjusted and extended to include near shore and shoreline response plans. Sensitivity studies were undertaken to identify critical elements in the progression from blowout and kill studies to near shore spill response plans. Lessons learned include the overall importance of selecting correct data on reservoir characteristics, sufficient resolution in oil spill modelling, and applying consensus values for spill response capabilities throughout the assessment process. To ensure an adequate basis for near shore spill response planning, GIS technology was applied to produce a set of thematic spill response maps, in A1 size PDF format, for 37 of the most sensitive areas along the Norwegian coast. A strategic plan was also developed for each area. All maps, documentation, GIS data sets and other results of this development work has actively been made available to operators on the NCS, to the Authorities and to spill response organizations.

DEVELOPING A GUIDELINE FOR OIL SPILL RISK ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 314-327
Author(s):  
Torild Ronnaug Nissen-Lie ◽  
Odd Willy Brude ◽  
Ole Oystein Aspholm ◽  
Peter Mark Taylor ◽  
David Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT Following the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico (Macondo) oil spill and the 2009 Montara incident in Australia, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) formed the Global Industry Response Group. This Group identified nineteen oil spill response recommendations (OGP, 2011) that are being addressed via an Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP) during 2012–2014. The OSR-JIP is managed by IPIECA on behalf of OGP, in recognition of IPIECA's long-standing experience with oil spill response matters. One of the nineteen recommendations concerned the development of an international guideline for offshore oil spill risk assessment and a method to better relate oil spill response resources to the risk level. Consequently, the OSR-JIP has published a guideline covering oil spill risk assessment and response planning for offshore installations. This paper describes the development and content of the guideline, including how the oil spill risk assessment process provides structured and relevant information to oil spill response planning for offshore operations. The process starts by defining the context of the assessment and describing the activity to be assessed. Thereafter it addresses a series of key questions:What can go wrong, leading to potential release of oil?What happens to the spilled oil?What are the impacts on key environmental - both ecological and socio-economic - receptors?What is the risk for environmental damage?How is the established risk utilised in oil spill response planning? The guideline draws on existing good practices in the determination of oil spill response resources. It promotes consideration, in tactical and logistical detail, of the preferred and viable response strategies to address scenarios covering the range of potential oil spills up to the most serious. The methodology to evaluate the potential spill scenarios utilizes a series of questions:What are the viable techniques/strategies to deliver response with greatest net environment benefit?What are the tactical measures required to implement the identified response strategies, considering technical, practical and safety factors?What Tiered resources are required to mount the tactical measures and achieve effective response? The paper summarizes the useful tools, key information and the necessary level of detail essential to perform an oil spill risk assessment for use in oil spill response planning.

PREPAREDNESS PLANS VERSUS ACTUAL RESPONSE: THE INCIDENT SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS REVIEW OF THE T/B MORRIS J. BERMAN MAJOR OIL SPILL1

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 737-743
Author(s):  
Richard C. Vlaun ◽  
Kenneth Bradford ◽  
Phillip Biedenbender ◽  
John White
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Actual Response

ABSTRACT The Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) of the T/B Morris J. Berman oil spill response was the first convened by Commandant (G-M). It developed procedures and methodologies in examining oil spill responses that compared the planned implementation of the Area Contingency Plan with the actual response. The ISPR yielded numerous lessons learned that should lead to improvements in response planning.

scholarly journals Integration of lessons learned from 30 years of oil on water exercises, testing and training in an improved industry oil spill contingency framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Skeie ◽  
I. S. Kristoffersen ◽  
F. Engen ◽  
P. M. Sævik ◽  
H. Lura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Water Exercises ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf ◽  
And Training ◽  
Exploration Activity

ABSTRACT On behalf of the operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) has the responsibility for providing a documented and verified level of oil spill response, fulfilling the requirements set by the regulatory authorities for each individual production and exploration activity. To meet this responsibility and document the established oil spill preparedness, a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary project has been undertaken, integrating results and lessons learned from oil on water exercises and test facilities in the period 1985 to 2018. The structured results feed into standardized algorithms for system capability and operational windows, applicable across all combat methods in the NOFO toolbox. Through gap and sensitivity assessments, topics for R & D area prioritisation are identified. Data and information are structured in order to fit into the assessment methodology for Environmental Risk Assessments (ERA) and Spill Impact Mitigation Assessments (SIMA), and a step by step methodology for oil spill response assessments (OSRA) was developed as part of the project, facilitating standardised and comparable oil spill response plans. In addition to this standardisation and documentation process, templates for presentation of key data for oil spill response planning purposes are developed, and disseminated to a dedicated web site, as well as the NOFO Common Operating Picture GIS. In this way, a cohesive set of data and standards are available for use in assessments, planning, authority assessment and in incidents.

THE USE OF CONSENSUS ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENTS TO EVALUATE OIL SPILL RESPONSE OPTIONS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM WORKSHOPS IN NINE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Aurand ◽  
Robert Pond ◽  
Gina Coelho ◽  
Mark Cunningham ◽  
Amy Cocanaur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Local Response ◽  
Response Options ◽  
The Us ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT Since 1998, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and various partners in industry and government have applied a standardized consensus ecological risk assessment process in workshops around the US to evaluate oil spill response options. Each series of workshops focuses on the evaluation of a location-specific near shore spill scenario. Participants then use the results to identify more general regional conclusions. Workshop goals are to 1) encourage local response community consensus risk-based evaluation of oil spill impacts and 2) facilitate the resolution of conflicts related to potential ecological costs and benefits of various response options, including natural recovery, which was always analyzed in order to establish a baseline. For each workshop series, a summary report is prepared to capture analytical results and participant interpretations. Sessions have been completed in six coastal areas of the United States (US), on the upper Mississippi River, the US Virgin Islands, and a bay in New Zealand. The data from all of these workshops have been analyzed to identify consistent “lessons learned” about the process and the relative risks associated with various response options. The mix of response options varied, depending upon local conditions. All eight coastal assessments examined on-water mechanical recovery and the use of dispersants, and several looked at in-situ burning (on-shore or on-water) as well as shoreline cleanup. The freshwater workshop emphasized use of the methodology to define the relative risk to various habitats, rather than to evaluate specific response options. In all nine workshops the participants reported that the methodology helped them to more effectively structure their discussions about potential costs and benefits. In general, participants felt that dispersants (and in some cases in-situ burning) should receive more consideration than they do currently, that on-water mechanical recovery alone was unlikely to meet their response objectives, and that the risk assessment process improved their ability to analyze oil spill response issues. In each case, participants also identified specific activities which they felt were appropriate to integrate the results into local response planning efforts.

OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANNING IN TROPICAL COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

1985 ◽  
Vol 1985 (1) ◽  
pp. 639-639
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Ballou ◽  
Charles D. Getter ◽  
Bart J. Baca ◽  
Mohammad Al-Sarawi ◽  
Christine L. Vilardi
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Coastal Environments ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response

OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANNING IN EASTERN EUROPE: A BULGARIAN CASE STUDY

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 767-773
Author(s):  
Hilary Hoagland-Grey ◽  
David Archer
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
International Response ◽  
The Face ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The opening of Eastern Europe to western companies has created a need for international cooperation between these companies and Eastern European governments. This new relationship presents a particular challenge for the oil industry as well as an opportunity for emerging governments to benefit from western companies’ experience. In 1993, Texaco Offshore Bulgaria submitted the first western oil spill response plan for the Bulgarian Black Sea. This paper presents a case study based on Dames & Moore's preparation of this plan. The plan was prepared in cooperation with the Bulgarian government, and included public discussions. It joined the country's existing response resources with Texaco's existing international response strategy. The result was a plan combining local knowledge and support and western capability and experience. This paper outlines the issues addressed in the plan. One critical point discussed below is that of protecting tourist beaches, which are an essential part of the Bulgarian economy. The paper concludes with a discussion of how cooperation between western industry and Eastern European government can result in successful oil spill response planning and help identify key factors for both attaining and maintaining preparedness in the face of the new challenges.

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