DRILLBITS – August 2013
This Month’s Articles
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IADC announces formation of the Well Control Institute
Preventing the unwanted release of hydrocarbons is the primary process safety concern at all stages of a well’s life cycle. Proper personnel training is an essential element in preventing unwanted releases.
At a kick off event held on the eve of the IADC Well Control Conference of the Americas on 19 August in Galveston, IADC president and CEO Stephen Colville announced the formation of the Well Control Institute (WCI), a new industry body which will provide a single, universal well control training and assessment standard for the drilling industry.
“The Well Control Institute is a cross-industry initiative to deliver a step-change in operational integrity and well control incident prevention,” said Mr Colville. “The goal is to develop a professional and consistent approach to ensuring the competence and credentials of everyone involved in all aspects of well control. By the mid- 2014, the WCI is expected to be fully operational, providing the industry a single administration and single governance, administering the single standard on well control.”
In his opening conference remarks the following day, David Williams, IADC chairman and Chairman of the Board, President and CEO at Noble Drilling, discussed, in further detail, the impetus behind the development of the WCI. “We took a look at current well-control training materials and programs and noted the existence of several areas for improvement. For example, the current model for testing and test development can be unreliable in quality and consistency. The focus of training can veer toward pass/fail, rather than knowledge retention. Training structure may not be sufficiently well-defined or appropriate,” he noted. “We looked at these and decided these challenges can be overcome, and more importantly, they should be overcome, for the good of our industry.”
The WCI will bring together all sectors of the drilling community to define and implement a new well control standard, which will build on the recommendations of the OGP Wells Expert Committee, IADC’s Well Control Advisory Panel and other industry stakeholders.
The training and assessment standard developed by WCI will focus on learning and learning retention and will provide rig-role-directed learning objectives with an emphasis on kick detection and well shut-in. It will focus on the use of realistic simulation in a team environment and provide a reliable, secure and trusted testing process. The flexible curriculum will cover all well construction disciplines and specialized practices and will offer continuous opportunities for new learning with an enhanced frequency of assessment.
Supported by IADC technical committees, the WCI will draw from all segments of the industry to develop globally accepted well control training standards and governance. An independent Executive Board of Directors will provide the vision and mission and be responsible for the WCI’s strategy and tactical goals. The WCI Advisory Panel, also an independent body, will establish and maintain the Standard and provide oversight of WCI operations and performance. Each of these will interface with IADC through the Administrative Body, which will include the WCI Executive Director and staff, who will be responsible for accrediting training providers and managing the day-to-day operations of the WCI.
The WCI Board and Advisory Panel will each be comprised of representatives from operators, drilling contractors, well service providers, and regulatory bodies. IADC is currently engaged in a search for the WCI Executive Director.
Black and Veatch, a management consulting company, has been contracted to facilitate the process of setting up the structure of the WCI. Over the course of the next several months, Black and Veatch will be developing the WCI charter, outlining the management plan, implementing the WCI infrastructure and developing core documentation and operating procedures.
The WCI is still under development. All industry bodies are invited to participate in the process, as the WCI is a collaborative effort to enhance well control training worldwide.
For more information, please contact Steve Kropla at ext.211 (Steve.Kropla@iadc.org) or Mark Denkowski at ext. 229 (Mark.Denkowski@iadc.org).
Industry and Education come together to launch the IADC Workforce Attraction and Development Initiative
The drilling industry needs more competent workers – it needs a lot more of them and needs them urgently. With strong rig demand in almost every drilling market and dozens of newbuilds scheduled to be commissioned over the next several years, attracting new people and preparing them with the necessary training and credentials to succeed has become one of the industry’s most critical concerns. Recognizing this urgent need, IADC has launched the Workforce Attraction and Development Initiative (WADI). The project unites the industry with educational partners to develop standardized curriculums that can be utilized to train the next generation and is projected to be fully operational in 2014.
“Speaking for US land, there are roughly 40,000 people employed on the rigs for drilling contractors,” said IADC 2013 vice chairman Jay Minmier, president of Nomac Drilling. “Historical attrition rates have been 30% to 40% so we are talking about 10,000 to 12,000 new-hires per year just to sustain, not including growth. It’s safe to say that we are looking at needing 20,000 to 25,000 people to come into the industry in the next two years. And if you include the worldwide offshore market, it maybe double that amount.”
“WADI addresses the industry’s need for pre-trained and pre-qualified entry-level new-hire candidates. It will connect the oil and gas industry with community colleges that have a track record of successfully developing coursework and programs to prepare would-be personnel for the industry,” said Mark Denkowski, vice president of IADC’s Accreditation and Credentialing Division. “Additionally, personal development trajectories and career guidance for both new-hires and existing rig-based personnel will be developed.”
At a kick off meeting on 13 August in Houston, IADC brought together representatives from industry, including Nomac Drilling, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Noble Drilling, Rowan Companies, NOV, FMC, Anadarko and BP. They were joined by representatives from community colleges around the US – including Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana and Utah – to brainstorm ways in which they can work together to train the next generation of rig employees.
Participants at the meeting discussed the upward trend of non-traditional applicants interested in pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry. Returning veterans and those previously employed in the construction industry were particularly highlighted as sectors of talent fueling this trend.
Community college representatives also participated in a discussion on how to develop a standardized curriculum and guidelines.
“What we do know is that oil and gas is like any other heavy industry. It’s work where folks can get hurt if they aren’t trained. Teaching KSAs, as colleges and as training providers and as educators, we can make sure that our curriculum addresses those issues and that we are hiring the very best capable folks for training our staff and faculty. It’s also important that we are scaffolding knowledge. It’s one thing to provide initial training, but it’s something else to build knowledge over time as workers take on more and more challenges and technology changes,” said Joan Smith, dean and executive director for Red Rocks Community College.
“This initiative is really about working together and having industry teaching alongside us. It’s an ongoing partnership where we are engaged fully, both of us together, industry and education, so that we can truly make this industry a safe place for people to work, earn a living for their families and have career and advancement opportunities,” Ms Smith continued.
Discussion at the kick-off event also touched on how all participants can work together and what WADI might look like moving forward. IADC will coordinate all communications between the colleges and provide subject matter experts via IADC committees through the process. The group will soon begin work on new candidate training guidelines and plans to meet again in November for further discussions.
For more information, please contact Mark Denkowski at ext. 229 (Mark.Denkowski@iadc.org) or Brenda Kelly at ext. 201 (Brenda.Kelly@iadc.org).
IADC hosts European Operations Forum meeting
On 4 July, IADC hosted a European Operations Forum joint contractor/regulator meeting in Brussels. A total of 41 representatives from EUOAG, IADC, the EU Commission and contractor members attended the meeting, chaired by Jens Hoffmark, IADC regional vice president, European operations.
A dozen of the drilling contractors in attendance gave individual overviews of their activities and provided a list of issues they encountered in executing drilling contract work in the EU region. Representatives from Archer Drilling, KCA Deutag, Maersk Drilling, Marriott Drilling, Noble Drilling, ENSCO Drilling, North Atlantic Drilling, Odjfell Drilling, Rowan Drilling and Transocean Drilling made presentations at the event.
The presentations produced common themes, which formed the basis for discussion between IADC members and regulators. Topics included harmonization of regulation across the EU, hiring and training of staff, directives vs regulations, consistency in training requirements and tracking and compliance with regulations.
The group then talked about the EU Offshore Safety Directive, which was implemented in late July 2013, detailing specific areas of change for the offshore drilling industry. During the discussion, Eero Allio, EU Commission, noted that strong opposition from the industry and employee representatives swayed their decision to adopt a directive as opposed to regulation.
HSE UK and the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) each presented inspection report findings. HSE UK highlighted the importance of suitable temporary refuges and their maintenance and controls on Permit to Work systems. The DEA noted that deviances it finds on a regular basis are related to human factors and issues related to noise and vibrations.
The assembled group agreed that the presentations were helpful in spurring discussion and agreed to meet yearly to continue the discussion.
For more information, contact Mr Hoffmark at jens.hoffmark@iadc.org.
IADC represents industry at Offshore Safety Meeting
The Department of Interior and the National Ocean Industries Association hosted an offshore safety meeting on 1 August to discuss shallow water.
BSEE director James Watson and Tommy Beaudreau from Lands and Mineral Management chaired the meeting, which was attended by Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell via video conference.
Alan Spackman, IADC vice president, offshore division, represented IADC at the meeting. Participants discussed the need to share lessons learned and best practices as a way to help refocus industry efforts to improve safety. Additionally, the importance of operator oversight of contract work being performed on offshore facilities, the need to monitor and act more proactively when there is an indication of a problem and the importance of compliance with regulations were noted.
For more information, please contact Alan Spackman at ext. 207 (alan.spackman@iadc.org).
IADC appoints Tony Cox as regional representative for Brazil
Recognizing the important role that Brazil plays in the energy industry, IADC recently appointed Tony Cox to serve as regional representative for the region.
Mr Cox has more than 35 years of experience in the industry working for ENSCO, Global Maritime Ltd. and Pride International, among others. He is a certified master mariner with command experience of dynamically positioned drillships and semi-submersibles and has a marine consultancy background with project management and warranty survey work.
In 2005, he became OIM/Master at Pride International. In 2006, he joined ENSCO as QHSE Manager for Brazil. In 2011, he served as Senior QHSE Manager for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Since early 2013 he has worked as an independent marine and safety consultant.
“The oil and gas industry in Brazil is projected to grow significantly in the next several years,” said Bob Warren, IADC international development advisor. “As the only industry body exclusively representing the drilling community, IADC has the expertise, valuable programs and information to strengthen the drilling industry in Brazil.”
Residing in Brazil, Mr Cox will be responsible for networking with IADC members throughout the region and promoting their interests, while also representing IADC to relevant industry, government and regulatory bodies.
“Mr Cox is uniquely experienced and qualified to serve the industry through IADC and we are fortunate to have his presence in the organization,” said Mr Warren.
Mr Cox can be reached via email at tony.cox@iadc.org.
BSEE appoints Vice Admiral Brian Salerno as director
On 14 August, Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced the appointment of US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Brian Salerno as the next Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Mr Salerno was most recently the Deputy Commandant for Operations at the USCG and had a role in the response to the Macondo incident. He has also served on the National Academy of Sciences’ Ocean Studies Board and is a member of the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association.
“IADC is pleased with the appointment of Mr Salerno. Through his previous work with BSEE, he is very aware of their operations and will ensure the immediacy of continuity for BSEE operations,” said Alan Spackman, IADC vice president, Offshore Division.
For more information, please contact Mr Spackman at ext. 207 (Alan.Spackman@iadc.org).
Sean Brett joins IADC’s Offshore Division
The IADC Offshore Division has recently expanded with the addition of Sean Brett as senior director.
In his role, Mr Brett will have responsibility for assisting the IADC Accreditation and Credentialing Division on development of the marine qualifications for the KSAs project. He will also represent IADC at the International Maritime Organization as it considers Deepwater Horizon casualty reports.
Mr Brett was previously a Compliance Specialist with Noble Drilling Services, Inc. A graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, he received a bachelor degree in Marine Transportation before receiving his law degree from Tulane University. From 2000 through 2010, he served as a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserve. He joined the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry as a manager of marine safety and investigations in 2008. In 2011, at ConocoPhillips/Phillips 66, he served as marine HSE/Regulatory Compliance Specialist before joining Noble Drilling Services Inc. in 2012.
“Sean brings the experience, education and background to elevate the IADC offshore division and provide assurance of our core competencies. He will be a valuable asset in expanding our capabilities for advocacy, regulatory representation and development of standards,” said Alan Spackman, vice president, IADC Offshore Division.
Mr Brett can be reached at ext. 420 (Sean.Brett@iadc.org).
Safety across all industries topic of Wyoming Safety and Workforce Summit
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and Wyoming OSHA hosted a Wyoming Safety and Workforce Summit on 25 and 26 June to promote safety across all industries in the state. The oil and gas, construction, mining and commercial trucking industries were represented at the summit which also provided updates on Wyoming specific programs and initiatives.
IADC’s Paul Breaux, Director, Onshore HSE, was a presenter at a break out session, discussing IADC initiatives, ISP trends and current IADC committee activities. Brooke Comeaux, IADC Competence and Learning Development Specialist was a presenter at a breakout session, “IADC Initiatives to Develop a Highly Credentialed Workforce.”
Key takeaways from the meeting with respect to the oil and gas industry included a discussion of both major and minor rule changes to well servicing proposed by Wyoming OSHA. These include:
The proposed rules will tentatively go for public comment in November, 2013.
For more information, please contact Mr Breaux at ext. 227 (Paul.Breaux@iadc.org) or Brooke Comeaux at ext. 247 (Brooke.Comeaux@iadc.org).
BOEM to offer 21 million offshore acres for development
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will be hosting the Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 233 on 28 August. It will cover roughly 20.7 million acres offshore Texas for oil and gas exploration and development. The proposed lease sale is estimated to produce 116 to 200 million barrels of oil and 538 to 938 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The sale offers 3,864 blocks, located from nine to 250 miles offshore, in water depths ranging from 16 to more than 10,975 feet (five to 3,346 meters).
The sale is the third under the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017, the second of five Western Gulf of Mexico lease sales that will be held under the program.
Terms and conditions for the sale are detailed in the Final Notice of Sale information package. The Notice of Availability of the Final Notice of Sale can be viewed at the Federal Register.
MODU Code Amendments
At its June 2013 meeting, the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee adopted amendments to the 1979, 1989 and 2009 editions of the MODU Code. The amendments require that specific written procedures be developed for entry into enclosed spaces, and that enclosed space entry and rescue drills be conducted at least once every two months. Governments are encouraged to take steps to give effect to the amendments by 1 January 2015.
The text of the amendments is presented at annexes 9,10 and 11 of the Report of the Maritime Safety Committee on its 92nd session, available on IADC’s IMO Subcommittee website or from the IMODOCS website.
For further information, please contact Alan Spackman at ext. 207 (alan.spackman@iadc.org).
OSHA 5810 Leadership Course Steering Committee hosts meeting to develop future coursework
The OSHA 5810 Leadership Course Steering Committee hosted a meeting in Louisville, Colorado on 19-20 June to discuss the training course. OSHA 5810 – Hazards Recognition and Standards Training Course for the US Onshore Oil and Gas Exploration and Production was developed in 2012 to provide specific oil and gas training to employees working in various stages of oil and gas extraction. The course is specific to OSHA regulations and US onshore operations, but holds interest from international bodies as well.
The training curriculum is comprised of three tiers. The first is the SafeLand Orientation, the second is the OSHA 5810 course and the third is the leadership course. The meeting convened to discuss the third tier of the coursework, which is still under development. Paul Breaux, IADC Director, Onshore HSE attended the meeting, where participants discussed how to structure the third tier which is intended to educate front line supervisors, company men and employees who show leadership capabilities the tools to effectively lead subordinates on the wellsite.
The steering committee will meet again on 21-23 October to further discuss instructor qualifications, piloting and marketing of the leadership course and development of module job aides. Additionally, on 21 October, 5810 instructors will meet to share lessons learned and new and improved modifications. Assessment data from the previous year will be reviewed and recommendations for curricula updates to address industry changes will be discussed.
For more information, please contact Mr Paul Breaux at ext 227 (paul.breaux@iadc.org).
Accreditation Updates
WellCAP
RigPASS
DIT
Safety Alerts
For the latest safety alerts, visit www.iadc.org/safety-alerts
Alert 13-17: Fall from heights results in fatality
Alert 13-18: Body positioning near suspended load results in medical treatment case
Reminders
Rigs Receive ISP Certificates
For certificates received since last LTI (in years):
New IADC Members
IADC welcomes 24 new members:
DRILLBITS Volume 23, Number 8
David Williams, Chairman • Stephen Colville, President and CEO • Amy Rose, Editor
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