DRILLBITS -January 2015
This Month’s Articles
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2nd edition of IADC Deepwater Well Control Guidelines available in February
The 2nd edition of the groundbreaking “IADC Deepwater Well Control Guidelines” will be available in print and electronic formats in February 2015. The new deepwater guidelines include new content on operational risk management, sometimes called process safety, with additional new and refreshed content on well integrity, well planning, rig operations, equipment, procedures, training and drills, and emergency response. The year-long project was led by Louis Romo, BP, Chairman of the Deepwater Well Control Guidelines Task Force, and Moe Plaisance, Diamond Offshore Drilling (Retired), Executive Advisor, with support from nearly 100 top-level experts.
The aim of these Guidelines is to facilitate safe and efficient deepwater drilling operations. This important publication provides guidance for maintaining primary well control, applying secondary well control methods and responding to an emergency in the event of a blowout. Each chapter is intended to facilitate the rig team’s primary task of maintaining and optimizing control of the well.
Six chapters tackle the following vital information, key to maximizing safety and efficiency in subsea rig operations.
- Operational Risk Management and Well Integrity (James Hebert, Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc, chairman): Barrier installation and maintenance for the life of the well;
- Well Planning and Rig Operations (Brian Tarr, Shell, chairman): Relevance of well planning and well design to well control;
- Equipment (Peter Bennett, Pacific Drilling, chairman): Typical well control equipment used on floating drilling rigs;
- Procedures (Earl Robinson, Murphy Oil Corp, chairman): Kick prevention, detection and mitigation to maintain/regain control.
- Training and Drills (Benny Mason, Rig QA International, chairman): Planning, conducting and continuously improving deepwater well control training and drills;
- Emergency Response (John Garner, Boots and Coots, chairman): Activities and resources to manage a well control emergency.
The IADC Deepwater Well Control Guidelines also include an appendix defining important acronyms and terms.
*Pre-order now to take advantage of a 15% discount. For the ebook, go to www.iadc.org/ebookstore. For print, www.iadc.org/bookstore. eBook: $275; Print: Nonmembers $350/ Members $295.
U.S. EPA Institutes New Penalty for ECA Violations
As of 15 January 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began enforcement of its new penalty policy for violations of the Emissions Control Area (ECA) regulations, which are applicable to the North America and US Caribbean Sea.
The regulations require vessels that are operating in ECA-regulated waters to use low sulfur fuel or adopt an alternative means, such as scrubbers or LNG fuel usage, to reduce their harmful emissions. This new EPA policy provided detailed information on how the EPA will calculate the penalty, which will be based on at least two major components:
- Economic benefit derived from the violation,
- The gravity component that is based on the seriousness of the violation.
Importantly, each day of the violation constitutes a separate violation. The new policy is of particular interest to mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs), given that their fuel is normally provided by the operator and that bunker delivery notes, which indicate the sulfur content, may not always be provided when the fuel is delivered.
For more information, please contact John Pertgen at John.Pertgen@iadc.org.
Young Professionals Program to be Hosted During the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference in March
The premier drilling event of 2015, the SPE/IADC Annual Drilling Conference in London, will feature an inspiring half day program dedicated exclusively to young professionals on Wednesday 18th March. In the morning, young professionals under the age of 35 can experience the full SPE/IADC Drilling Conference plenary and technical sessions. In the afternoon, they can attend engaging presentations, career development sessions and networking events for YPs in the drilling industry. These include:
- YP Luncheon – Sponsored by BP, the luncheon will highlight the day’s activities, and attendees will enjoy access to industry experts at each table.
- e-Poster Sessions and Competition –Young professionals and students will have an opportunity to share their innovative findings, insights and solutions to modern-day challenges.
Submissions related to drilling/completions in the Oil and Gas community will be accepted. The best abstract submissions will be invited to present an e-Poster at the conference. Poster deadlines are as follows:
23rd February 2015 @ 11:59 pm GMT: Deadline for Abstract submission (max. 500 words)
9th March 2015 @ 11:59 pm GMT: Deadline for e-Poster submission
The program will also include:
- Chartership Presentation – IMechE will feature the various routes to chartership and the benefits of Chartered status.
- Career “Soft Skills” Presentation – from Gary Jones, Head of Global Wells Organization at BP, on the necessary interpersonal skills to thrive in the industry.
- Poster Presentation – Poster session winners will be announced.
- Professional Networking Event – The day will conclude with a fantastic opportunity to meet and socialize with fellow young professionals, as well as other industry professionals associated with the SPE and IADC.
Register to attend this event at www.spe.org/events/DC/2015.
For detailed Poster Guidelines or for any further information on the YP program please contact: Alistair.macdonald@bg-group.com
IMO Maritime Safety Committee Adopts MODU Code Amendments
The IMO Maritime Safety Committee adopted amendments to the MODU Code during its 94th session, held in November. The 1979, 1989 and 2009 MODU Codes were amended to align with the requirements of SOLAS XI-1/7 (MSC.1/Circ.1477), regarding carriage of portable atmosphere testing equipment for enclosed spaces. These amendments will become effective on 1 July 2016.
The Committee also adopted resolution MSC.387(94), amending the 2009 MODU Code to provide for alternative procedures for lifeboat drills on MODUs. In relation to this, the Committee approved MSC.1/Circ.1486 on Guidelines on alternative methods for lifeboat drills on MODUs, which may be used in conjunction with the provision of onboard training and instructions in the 1979 and 1989 MODU Codes.
For more information, please contact Sean Brett at Sean.Brett@iadc.org.
IADC Announces New Chairman’s Anniversary Awards Program
IADC believes in the importance of continually improving performance for the drilling industry. The Chairman’s Anniversary Award was developed to recognize field-based individuals who have made a direct impact on improved performance for their company, either through a project or personal effort. The Award will be given every five years as part of IADC’s anniversary celebrations.
Award winners will demonstrate how their innovative project directly improved performance in the field in one of the following ways:
- Eliminating injuries
- Enhancing process safety
- Reducing NPT
- Improving equipment reliability
- Increasing efficiency
Submissions will be judged based on the above criteria by a selected group of both IADC staff and industry veterans.
Award recipient will be contacted in August, and the award will be presented during the IADC Annual General Meeting in November 2015.
Timeline
- March 1 – May 31 – submissions accepted via IADC website.
- June 1 – July 31 – Judging
- August – Winner contacted
- November – Award presented at IADC’s Annual General Meeting in San Antonio
For more information, please visit www.iadc.org/chairmans-anniversary-award.
SafeLandUSA Tops 750,000 and Plans for 2015
The U.S. oil and gas industry’s safety orientation for onshore workers, SafeLandUSA, reached the three-quarters-of-a-million-trained milestone in December 2014. SafeLandUSA Chairperson Josh Ortega announced the accomplishment at the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) O&G Safety Conference in Houston December 3, 2014.
“More than 750,000 people have successfully completed the SafeLandUSA orientation, which is an increase of 400,000 in the past 2 years,” according to Ortega.
The exponential jump in training numbers has been attributed to the efforts of key individuals and organizations, representing upstream operators and contractors, who have joined forces to keep workers safe while showing regulators that they are up for the challenge.
This focus on safety was clarified and reinforced at the December OSHA conference when BP’s Rick Ingram, addressing attendees in his role as industry Co-Chair for the conference, responded to a question about whether safety would be impacted due to the current drop in oil prices.
“The industry has evolved,” indicated Ingram. “We have a much better understanding that effective leadership, planning, communication, use of proper and properly inspected tools and equipment, proven engineering controls as well as enhanced worker training and education make our work safer, but at the same time more efficient and ultimately more profitable.”
SafeLandUSA Executive Committee member Randy Golden (Anadarko) explained, “SafeLandUSA is all about quality and consistency–quality of instructors and consistency of the orientation provided to land rig workers. Through this organization, we can work together to address safety issues and help to ensure that our workers make it home after every hitch.”
David Michaels, PhD, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, shared his views on these efforts at the OSHA conference: “We’re making progress, and I think it’s because of you. This industry has stepped up to the plate.” In addition to the SafeLandUSA orientation, the oil and gas industry has voluntarily participated in several “safety stand downs,” sponsored by the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network.
In the most recent statistics available (2013), fatalities were down 54 percent from the previous year while productivity was up 11.2 percent (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
SafeLandUSA was founded in 2006 by an industry workgroup interested in standardizing an orientation for land rig workers. The curriculum and accreditation criteria were implemented in 2007. By the end of 2010, 50,000 employees had received the orientation.
Training providers and instructors are credentialed by accrediting organizations PEC Safety, International Association of Drilling Contractors, and Energy Training Council. These organizations now accredit several thousand instructors spread out across 40 U.S. states.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA; the STEPS Network; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) signed an alliance agreement at the December OSHA Conference to collaborate on fostering “safer and more healthful American workplaces.” These organizations intend to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the U.S. onshore oil and gas industry, and they specifically mention SafeLandUSA in their Work Plan for accomplishing this goal.
At the SafeLandUSA meeting on December 4, 2014, new Executive Committee officers were elected. To serve on this committee, an individual must be an HSE professional representing either an upstream oil and gas operator or contractor.
Josh Ortega (BHP Billiton) was elected to the chairperson position, which he had filled on an interim basis during 2014. Randy Golden, Anadarko, was elected to the vice chair position.
Operator-at-large seats were filled by Bill Walker (Halcon Resources), Bill Cottrell (Chevron North America Exploration and Production), and Terry Wingate (ExxonMobil).
A drilling-contractor-at-large position was filled by Eddy Biehl (Stonebridge Oilfield Services) and one position remains open.
The SafeLandUSA program is one of many efforts by the U.S. O&G industry to enhance safety for rig workers. Land-rig workers receive this 1-day orientation to enhance personal safety.
IADC North Sea Chapter Announces 2015 Chapter Officers
The IADC North Sea Chapter recently elected new Chapter officers. The new officers are:
- Chairman – Lee Reborse, Noble Drilling
- Vice Chairman – Ivor McBean, Diamond Offshore Drilling
- Vice Chairman – Bram van Zelm, Maersk Drilling
For more information about the chapter, and how to get involved in chapter activities, please visit the IADC North Sea Chapter webpage.
Mike DuBose to Oversee IADC Committees
In an effort to better serve member companies, and to make IADC’s committee work more effective, Mike DuBose – Vice President of International Development (Global Network) has been assigned to oversee IADC’s ongoing corporate and chapter level committee work. In this role, Mike will be working with committee officers to review their ongoing projects, and to collaborate with them to provide a thorough, focused approach to their work.
“Mike’s new responsibilities will serve to enhance IADC’s organizational effectiveness, and serve to better organize our committee work, which will strengthen the deliverables for our industry,” said Stephen Colville, IADC President and CEO. “Mike’s extensive contract drilling background and international experience will be useful in our efforts to expand our current committee expertise to our global membership.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to engage with our committee officers to support IADC’s mission of catalyzing improved performance for the drilling industry. Our committees play a vital role in bringing together subject matter experts to ensure the industry’s efforts are effective at both a local chapter and global level,” said Mike DuBose. “The committees provide a unique opportunity to gain insight through collaboration with our colleagues to improve our capabilities and deliver safe, cost effective solutions for our members. This effort will further enhance our capabilities and improve the lines of communication with our membership.”
For more information, contact Mike DuBose at Mike.DuBose@iadc.org.
Accreditation Updates
RigPASS
WellCAP
Safety Alerts
For the latest safety alerts, visit www.iadc.org/safety-alerts
Alert 14-29: Personnel basket failure serious near hit
Alert 14-30: Casing thread protector dropped during hi-line operation
Rigs Receive ISP Certificates
For certificates received since last LTI (in years):
New IADC Members
IADC welcomes 20 new members:
DRILLBITS Volume 25, Number 1
Ed Jacob, Chairman • Stephen Colville, President and CEO • Amy Rose, Editor
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