DRILLBITS – March 2013
This Month’s Articles
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IADC applauds EU agreement on offshore oil and gas safety
IADC welcomed an agreement reached on 21 February between the European Parliament and European Council on a proposal for oil and gas safety regulation. The agreement was drafted in response to the Macondo disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to be formally approved in the coming months. Member States’ existing offshore safety protocols were reviewed to draw up the new legislation. The proposed guidelines aim to guarantee the world’s highest safety, health and environmental standards for all operations in the European Union.
IADC worked collaboratively with Oil and Gas UK and OGP to campaign against the European Council’s initial inclination to impose new regulations. Working with the governments of the United Kingdom, Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway, IADC championed a directive so that each country is responsible for drafting its own regulations.
“After more than two years of struggle, the industry has prevailed in making the argument for a directive and against regulations imposed by Brussels. The distinction sets a platform for individual Member States to develop their own regulations. Had there been a direct mandate for regulations, it would have gone into effect immediately and caused massive disruption in oil and gas operations,” said Brian Petty, IADC executive vice president, government and regulatory affairs. “The agreed-upon legislation will ensure a much better result from a regulatory standpoint with disrupting existing offshore operations in the EU.” For more information, please contact Brian Petty at +1 202-293-0670 (brian.petty@iadc.org).
Jack-up Rig Committee, Mike Hoyle receive awards
Awards were presented to the Jack-up Committee and Mike Hoyle of GL Noble Denton at the annual IADC Health, Safety, Environment and Training Conference in Houston on 5 February.
The Jack-up Committee was recognized with the IADC Presidential Achievement Award for its contribution to the publication of the International Organization for Standardization’s standards for site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units. David Lewis, president of Lewis Engineering Group, accepted the award on behalf of the committee. Mike Hoyle was presented with an Exemplary Service Award for his substantial contribution to the International Organization of Standardization’s standards for site-specific assessment of offshore mobile units.
Mr Hoyle is head of advanced engineering in GL Noble Denton’s UK marine and offshore operation and chairman of its Technical Policy Board. He has more than thirty-five years of experience in the offshore industry and is widely recognized for his expertise in jackup engineering. Since its inception, Mr Hoyle has been convener of the International Standards Organization Work Group covering the Site Specific Assessment of Mobile Offshore Units that developed ISO 19905-1 in 2012 and ISO 19905-2, which will soon be published.
Elfriede Neidert named director of the IADC Quality Control & Quality Assurance Division
Elfriede Neidert has been named director of IADC’s Quality Control & Quality Assurance Division. The move is the latest within the Operational Integrity Group. The QA/QC function was previously contained within the Accreditation and Credentialing Division (ACD), and it will continue to be primarily involved in the oversight of training providers accredited by ACD and ACD’s ISO 9001 certification.
Further separating QA/QC from the daily operations of ACD is designed to strengthen the independence and autonomy of this function, which is vital to maintaining credibility in IADC’s various accreditation programs.
“The new group name and structure is designed to highlight the roles these divisions play in helping our members improve their own performance and ensure the proper qualifications and competency of their employees,” said Steve Kropla, Group Vice President- Operational Integrity. Other divisions within the Operational Integrity Group consist of the Onshore Division, Offshore Division, Drilling & Well Services Division and ACD.
For more information, contact Steve Kropla at ext 211 (steve.kropla@iadc.org).
IADC to expand network of regional representatives
IADC is currently expanding its network of regional representatives to better address the needs of its members in all operating areas around the world. New regional representatives are being recruited for Brazil, Continental Europe and the North Sea. IADC’s network of regional reps provides focal points throughout all operating regions to serve as conduits for information about the association’s many initiatives, activities and programs.
Regional reps are presently assigned in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia and Australasia. “Additional regional representatives will enhance IADC’s ability to address member needs in a timely and effective manner,” said Stephen Colville, IADC’s president and CEO. “They will also serve as members’ link to subject matter experts on the IADC staff.” The new regional representatives are expected to be in place by mid-year.
For additional information, contact Ken Fischer at (ken.fischer@iadc.org).
OSHA clarifies policy on drillers’ protective gear
OSHA issued the “Guidance on Handling Cases Developed Pursuant to the FRC Enforcement Policy Memorandum,” to regional administrators and solicitors on 18 December, 2012 It provides guidance on the 2010 enforcement memorandum, which required oil and gas well workers to wear flame-resistant clothing (FRC) to protect against flash fires.
The guidance details OSHA’s policy that compliance staff should closely review operations where FRC is not in use to determine its necessity to protect workers against flash fires. A citation requires evidence that the employer had notice of the need for equipment. To enforce the Personal Protection Equipment standard, an OSHA compliance officer must show that FRC is necessary to protect workeres from hazards in their workplace.
In the guidance, OSHA maintains that the October 2010 memorandum was not a significant rule change to the PPE regulation. IADC and other associations still contend that it is, in fact, a significant regulatory change.
For more information, please contact Joe Hurt at joe.hurt@iadc.org or Paul Breaux at paul.breaux@iadc.org.
ISO Offshore Modular Drilling Rig Standard announced
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has announced that a new project for development of a standard providing “Specification for offshore modular drilling rigs on fixed platforms” has been approved.
The project will be registered on the work program of Technical Committee 67 as NP 18647. The project was proposed by China, who provided detailed national standards for use in the development of the new standard. In addition, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom have nominated experts to serve on the working group to develop the standard.
IADC members interested in participating should contact their national standards body regarding the possibility of participation.
For further information, contact Alan Spackman at ext. 207 (alan.spackman@iadc.org).
Dept of Interior renews Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee charter
The Department of Interior issued a Notice of Renewal for the Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee (OESC) on 6 February. The OESC was formed in early 2011 and originally given a two year charter.
The group met on 9-10 January in Washington DC to review progress-to-date and finalize recommendations to outgoing DOI Secretary Kenneth Salazar.
The meeting opened with remarks from BSEE Director James Watson, who focused on the proposed BOP rule, new oil spill response regulations, BAST and Arctic drilling. Secretary Salazar followed by thanking the committee for its work-to-date. He announced that the Administration’s Arctic policy had not changed, and that they are especially interested in the opportunity that the exploration phase allows for significant scientific research to be conducted.
Presentations were then made by each of the OESC subcommittees. As the OESC operates in an advisory capacity, no specific action items or plans were established by subcommittees or their members. All recommendations will be presented formally to BSEE for consideration and possible action.
For more information, please contact Julia Swindle at ext. 220 (julia.swindle@iadc.org).
IADC hosts regional operations forums
IADC is increasing contact and communications with United States Onshore members by hosting Regional Operations Forums, which feature presentations from IADC staff on efforts being undertaken for onshore contractors. The first forum was held in conjunction with the Permian Basin Chapter reorganization meeting on 12 February.
Other forums are currently scheduled for 12 March in Oklahoma City, 19 March in Denver and 15 May in Houston. Dates and locations for future forums will be forthcoming.
For additional information, please contact Joe Hurt at (joe.hurt@iadc.org) or Paul Breaux at (paul.breaux@iadc.org).
Danish Energy Agency updated on industry goals
Jens Hoffmark, IADC regional vice president, European operations, Denmark, met with the new management of the Danish Energy Agency on 4 February to highlight IADC’s role within the oil and gas industry.He pointed out the challenges facing the industry, such as the relatively high number of new rigs entering the market and finding and training personnel to ensure a competent and qualified workforce.
In his meeting with DEA vice president Dorte Nohr Andersen and director Katrine Nielsen, Mr Hoffmark answered questions related to the regulation of offshore safety among countries around the North Sea. Additionally, he invited them to actively participate in IADC’s conferences.
For more information, contact Mr Hoffmark at (jens.hoffmark@iadc.org).
Joint Ocean Commission Initiative to propose ocean agenda to Administration and Congress
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) held a meeting, “Setting the Ocean Agenda for the Administration and Congress,” on 20 February in Washington, D.C.
JOCI was established in 2005 as a bipartisan collaboration of senior leaders with diverse ocean viewpoints and interests. The group’s primary goal is to accelerate the pace of change to facilitate meaningful ocean policy reform. The meeting focused on five priority issue areas, which included: coastal management and resilience, ocean energy development, supporting state and regional priorities through national ocean policy, arctic management and international ocean management.
Attendees and participants represented both government and industry. IADC submitted perspectives about opportunities and challenges for ocean policy, science and funding for a panel entitled, “Perspectives on ocean and coastal priorities.” The panel was moderated by Dr Andrew Rosenberg, Director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Participants included representatives from the Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council, Pew Environment Group, Florida Atlantic University and API, which presented the oil and gas industry viewpoint.
JOCI will use input from the gathering to develop an ocean agenda that outlines recommendations for actions that can be carried out over the next 2 to 4 years, and will present it to the Obama administration and Congress in Spring 2013.
For more information, please contact Brian Petty at (brian.petty@iadc.org).
Safety Alerts
For the latest safety alerts, visit www.iadc.org/safety-alerts
Alert 13-04: Lower marine riser package (LMRP) connector failure
Alert 13-05: Drill pipe dislodged from pipe bin during drilling operations
Alert 13-06: Poor communication amongst crew results in injury
Alert 13-07: Improper hand placement results in minor injury
Reminders
Rigs Receive ISP Certificates
For certificates received since last LTI (in years):
New IADC Members
IADC welcomes 25 new members:
DRILLBITS Volume 23, Number 3
David Williams, Chairman • Stephen Colville, President and CEO • Amy Rose, Editor
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