Improving Oil Spill Response capability during times of downsizing and budget cuts: A glance at the Norwegian way

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2726-2742
Author(s):  
Ståle Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Budget Cuts ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT How can we continuously develop and improve large scale emergency preparedness, such as oil spill response, in times of low oil prices, budget cuts and downsizing? NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association For Operating Companies) has found its path, through modernization and cooperation. When there are spills of crude oil from the petroleum industry at the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) NOFO will perform the oil spill response (OSR) on behalf of the owner of the spill, in practical terms becoming the company’s OSR branch during the incident. NOFO was founded in 1978, as a response to the large blowout at the Bravo field the previous year. Focus on offshore OSR technology and combat strategies has been the main motivation during our almost 40 year’s existence. The last decade has included a significant improvement in our competence and training on near-shore and beach OSR, simultaneously maintaining the unique offshore segment. As part of improving NOFO capacity within large scale, and / or long duration spill situations (e.g. Macondo), NOFO have embraced and implemented ICS (Incident Command System), thus improving our capabilities and capacities through the whole range from offshore to shoreline OSR. Through 2015 and 2016 ICS training and ICS adaptions of previous organizational systems has been prioritized, and new ones have been developed. NOFO personnel have participated in numerous training sessions and exercises with our member companies (operators on the Norwegian continental shelf) nationally and internationally. Through strategic choices of planning and collaboration both internally in NOFO and between NOFO and the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA), Global Response Network (GRN), other oil spill Response Organizations (OSROs) and cooperating partners, the number of exercises has increased, the value and output of exercises is improved, and thus the capacity and capability of NOFOs whole range OSR in improved. At the same time, on behalf of our members, NOFO have consumed less money year after year. NOFO is developing and improving our proven OSR capacity and competence, from offshore to shoreline, through increased efficiency, high focus on exercise training, and cooperation with other OSR agencies.

NOFO Oil spill response “The way we train”

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 431-446
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Performance Requirement ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Large Scale Field ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT In a situation where oil is spilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) the operator is responsible for the oil spill response. To do this in a robust and efficient way Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) handles the oil spill response on behalf of all member companies. Handling an oil spill response situation in all its forms from offshore incident to beach restoration involves many different resources, skills and people. Introducing Incident Command System (ICS) as the command system for this task even increases the amount of training we need to do. How can NOFO achieve the optimal training of our common and shared response resources in a time where focus is on an effective and robust response? Having an overview of the different response needs and response plans NOFO coordinates activity, training and exercises in an efficient way. This is done with the aid of NOFO’s operative plan. The plan describes every resource with a performance requirement and puts it in to a response context. This gives NOFO a foundation to build a response that is structured and cost efficient for our members. Furthermore, this enables NOFO to tailor our training and exercises from the individual responder/resource to the complex large-scale field exercise which involves typically 250–350 people from numerous different operating companies, municipalities, governmental and private responders. This paper will describe how we plan, train and exercise on the NCS in order to be prepared for response in an efficient and robust way.

Risk-Based Oil Spill Emergency Preparedness on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Stokke ◽  
Jon Rødal
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) is responsible for oil spill response, planning, and preparedness on behalf of the companies that are operating on the Norwegian continental shelf The responsibility includes initial response offshore, as well as coastal protection and shoreline cleanup. NOFO is developing a plan for regional oil spill preparedness to be implemented in 2001. The plan is based on risk assessment and covers planned oil production activities in the Norwegian offshore sector. Previously, NOFO's oil spill response plan was based on authority requirements and recognized standards. NOFO is now proposing a risk-based approach, aiming to identify the need for oil spill response in different areas of the Norwegian sector. The new approach is based on estimated probability of oil spill situations, dimensioning oil spill scenarios, and oil drift modeling to define arrival time to shore, coastal areas at risk, and amount of oil that may possibly reach the shore. The risk-based approach is an alternative to traditional “worst case” considerations and allows implementation of more cost-effective measures.

THE OIL SPILL FIELD OPERATIONS GUIDE (FOG)-NEW AND IMPROVED1

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 987-990
Author(s):  
Kristy Plourde ◽  
Jean R. Cameron ◽  
Vickie Huyck
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Management System ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
California Department ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The original oil spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) was a product of the Standard Oil Spill Response Management System (STORMS) Task Force comprised of representatives of the U. S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), other states, the petroleum industry, oil spill response organizations, and local government. The STORMS Task Force produced this first version of the “oilized” Incident Command System (ICS) FOG and Incident Action Plan (IAP) forms in 1994 and made subsequent revisions in 1995 and 1996. With 2 more years of ICS experience and facilitated by the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, a new group of representatives from federal and state governments, the petroleum industry, and oil spill response professionals met to review and update the 1996 FOG and IAP forms in October 1998. The overall goal was to remain consistent with the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS) yet reflect the experience gained using ICS at actual oil spills and drills. The group met quarterly over an 18-month period, working collaboratively to reach a consensus on numerous changes. Some of the changes included adding an Environmental Unit to the Planning Section, revising the planning cycle diagram for the oil spill IAP process, and revising the IAP forms as appropriate to reflect the way oil spills are managed. All significant revisions/improvements will be highlighted in this paper and poster.

Pipeline Regulations in the Norwegian Petroleum Industry: Experiences, Follow-Up and Statistical Summaries of Incidents

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trond Sundby ◽  
Kjell Arild Anfinsen
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Major Incidents ◽  
Flexible Risers ◽  
Degrees Of Severity ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is an independent government regulator responsible for safety, emergency preparedness and the working environment in the Norwegian petroleum industry. Norway’s regulations for petroleum operations offshore and on land are risk-based, and give great emphasis to principles for reducing health, safety and environmental (HSE) risk. They have been developed over more than 40 years, changing from detailed prescriptive regulations in the early days to the present requirements, which are largely formulated in performance-based (functional) terms. They specify requirements for the various aspects, characteristics or qualities which a product, process or service must possess. In our regulations there are requirements for reporting incidents and specifically to report on damages to load-bearing structures and pipeline systems. About 2900 incidents with risers and pipelines were reported on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) from 1975 to January 2017. Of these, 2/3 related to pipelines and 1/3 to risers, and they were of varying degrees of severity. The incidents with highest risk for personnel concerned risers and more than 80 reported major incidents involving flexible risers occurred in the period from 2000–2016. This paper will briefly summarise the development of the regulations and give examples from the pipeline regulations and the way the PSA follows up the industry today. We will also present statistical data of incidents related to risers. Since the start of the trends in risk level project (RNNP) on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) in 1999–2000 there has been 84 reported riser incidents (classified as major in the PSA RNNP-project) where most of those incidents are related to flexibles. There has been no major accident related to risers on the NCS in the same period and very few leaks. 8 of 11 reported leaks for pipelines and risers within the safety zone has been from flexible risers, with relatively low leak rates.

Protection of Caprock Integrity for Large-Scale CO2 Storage on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Gasda ◽  
Ivar Aavatsmark ◽  
Bahman Bohloli ◽  
Helge Hellevang ◽  
Jan Nordbotten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Co2 Storage ◽  
Caprock Integrity ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

THE APPROACHES TO THE SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SHELF OF THE ARCTIC SEAS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Krivichev ◽  
Alexander Krivichev
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marginal Stability ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Technogenic Loads ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Russian Arctic shelf - rich larder of the hydrocarbons, at the same time Northern Sea Route (NSR) - a strategically important route for transporting them. The extraction and the transportation of the hydrocarbons along the NSR requires the solution of a number of ecological and economic problems in the first place to ensure environmental and technogenic safety. For the solving of these problems on the continental shelf it is required a system of comprehensive measures: - the development of the regulatory framework for environmental support oil and gas projects; - the introduction and use of integrated methods for monitoring environmental conditions at the sites of technogenic loads on the shelf of the Arctic seas, including the use of drones; - creating different models for assessing the marginal stability of ecosystems to technogenic loads during production and transportation of hydrocarbons on the continental shelf based on systems of dynamic simulations; - the development and use of sensitivity maps of coastal areas of the Arctic seas during oil spill response; - accounting of the results of the analysis of the total environmental benefit in the development of oil spill response plans; - application of the principle of "zero" resetting, due to the high fishery valuation in Barents and Kara seas and the conservation of marine biological resources.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document