Wireline Issue 42 - Summer 2018

News Round-Up | Oil & Gas UK

3. Guidance on offshore fire and explosion design

Fire and Explosion Guidance Issue 2 2018 is an important tool in efforts to reduce the risk to life, the environment and the integrity of offshore facilities exposed to fire and explosion hazards. The document builds on guidance originally published in 2007 and provides a technical foundation to support design decisions, as well as guidance on practices and methods that lead to the effective assessment and management of such hazards. Oil & Gas UK’s health and safety manager, Trevor Stapleton, says: “We would like to thank the experts involved in this process, whose significant effort ensures that the guidance reflects current good practice and remains a solid technical reference for the understanding and management of fire and explosion hazards throughout the life cycle of offshore installations on the UK Continental Shelf.”

You can access the updated guidance at http://bit.ly/FEGuidance18.

4. Renewed guidelines for industry’s emergency preparedness and response plans

Oil & Gas UK has published Liability Provision Guidelines for Offshore Petroleum Operations to help licensees demonstrate that they can cover their costs for control, response and compensation for any unintended and uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons that might result from their activities. The guidelines cover exploration, appraisal and production assets and aim to simplify the process and increase transparency for operators. Previously, each operator was responsible for carrying out their own modelling using a formula to calculate their liability. Louise O’Hara Murray, Oil & Gas UK’s environment manager says: “Using the latest 3D modelling techniques, we have modelled theoretical hydrocarbon releases using eight locations on the UK Continental Shelf under different conditions for a range of release volumes. This helps us more accurately identify the level of financial provision that licensees must have in place should an oil release occur.”

Download your copy at http://bit.ly/LPGuidelines18.

5. OGA shares knowledge on technical solutions for MER UK

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has published two reports highlighting the ongoing industry work on critical technologies to Maximise Economic Recovery from the UK Continental Shelf (MER UK). UKCS Technology Insights is based on the technology plans submitted to the OGA by more than 60 UKCS operators as part of last year’s Stewardship Survey and gives an insight into companies' technology portfolios and strategies to access further required technologies for MER UK. The comparison showed that many existing technologies could be more widely adopted and that more collaboration among operators is possible. The SNS Salting Study found that southern North Sea (SNS) production efficiency is estimated at 64 per cent – the lowest of the UKCS areas – and that at least one fifth of all producing fields are likely to be affected by salt deposition. It recommends that gas operators in the SNS work together to reduce the impact of salting on production losses.

Get your copy of the reports at http://bit.ly/publicationsOGA.

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| W I R E L I N E | SUMMER 2018