ENSURING RESPONSIBLE DECOMMISSIONING - Responsible decommissioning means planning for safe decommissioning right from the design stage - NOPSEMA
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2021 - ISSUE 2
ENSURING RESPONSIBLE
DECOMMISSIONING
Responsible decommissioning
means planning for
safe decommissioning
right from the design stage
page 08
nopsema.gov.au
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FEEDBACK
the risk to the environment to ALARP
and with acceptable environmental NOPSEMA welcomes feedback from
impacts. For more information, visit our stakeholders. Please direct all
our website at nopsema.gov.au. enquiries about this publication to
communications@nopsema.gov.au.
STRATEGIC COMPLIANCE
FOCUS AREAS FOR 2021 CONTACT DETAILS
Head office — Perth
PREVENTING MAJOR
Level 8, 58 Mounts Bay Road
ACCIDENT EVENTS
Western Australia
PREVENTING LOSS P: +61 (0) 8 6188 8700
OF WELL CONTROL
GPO Box 2568
EFFECTIVE OIL POLLUTION Perth WA 6001
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Published in July 2021
RESPONSIBLE ASSET
STEWARDSHIP
The information provided in this publication is intended to provide its reader with general information only and should
not be relied on as advice on law, nor treated as a substitute for legal advice in any situation. NOPSEMA’s assessment
of regulatory permissioning documents, compliance monitoring, and enforcement activities, are undertaken in
accordance with the relevant legislation and associated regulations.
THE REGULATOR
In this edition
04 08 18
MESSAGE FROM THE ENSURING CONTINUAL
CHIEF EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBLE IMPROVEMENT IN OIL
OFFICER DECOMMISSIONING SPILL RESPONSE
06 20
HOT SURFACES POSE 2020 KEY
HYDROCARBON PERFORMANCE DATA
IGNITION RISK
12 21
07 IMPROVING
OFFSHORE CRANE
2020 OFFSHORE
INSPECTIONS INDUSTRY ACTIVITY
SAFETY
TO INCREASE FOCUS
ON HIGHEST RISK
13 22
HELP US IMPROVE
APPEA FOCUS
OUR WEBSITE
14
IMPROVING
INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN
COMMERCIAL
FISHERIES AND
SEISMIC PROPONENTS
MESSAGE FROM THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER
Recently, I was pleased to be invited to the CEO Safety Forum
held during the APPEA 2021 Conference to address industry leaders
on mental health and other current NOPSEMA priorities.
Mental health is something we are all At NOPSEMA, we understand border
grappling with during this pandemic closures, travel restrictions and
and the offshore oil and gas industry is quarantine requirements have forced
no different. We are seeing heightened the industry to implement changes
anxiety and tension offshore that has that will reduce the risk of COVID-19
the potential to affect attention to detail transmission. Industry must now also
and overall performance. When you ensure the psychosocial effects of these
add workers spending time in isolation, changes are being managed to minimise
working longer swing patterns and the potential for longer-term mental
dealing with extended separations from health effects on workers.
loved ones, it is easy to understand
Industry should also be cognisant of
the heightened risk to personal health,
the impact that travel restrictions may
process safety and the potential for
have on workforce competencies in
major accident events to occur.
fields such as the assessment and
maintenance of structural integrity.
NOPSEMA has recently increased its
focus on maintenance, particularly
of ageing assets and how they are
managed in the late-life stage.
We are seeing
heightened anxiety Timely and appropriate maintenance is a
key control in the prevention of harm and
and tension offshore protection of the environment. Continued
that has the potential maintenance is also a critical part of
to affect attention planning for decommissioning. Our Head
of Safety and Integrity, Derrick O’Keeffe,
to detail and overall
addressed this point at the APPEA
performance. Conference in his presentation on
Deferred Maintenance – A Major
Industry Challenge. Over the next few
years, NOPSEMA will be monitoring
duty holders closely to ensure they are
undertaking the required inspection,
monitoring, maintenance and repair
processes in a timely manner.
4 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021
Another key priority for NOPSEMA is safe and From discussion at the APPEA 2021
responsible decommissioning. The Australian Conference it was clear that industry
Government has confirmed its expectation leaders are increasing their focus on the
that NOPSEMA take a heightened interest growing number of assets in Australia that
in late life assets and that we apply the full are approaching end of life and requiring
range of our compliance powers to ensure decommissioning. The willingness of these
appropriate decommissioning when facilities leaders to adopt a collaborative approach was
reach their end of life. NOPSEMA has released encouraging and NOPSEMA looks forward
several guidance documents to assist industry to working with them to ensure facilities are
in complying with their decommissioning decommissioned in a safe and environmentally
obligations. These documents include a responsible manner.
regulatory policy outlining requirements and
I trust you find this latest edition of
expectations for the maintenance and removal
The Regulator informative.
of property.
NOPSEMA has also published a
decommissioning compliance strategy
and plan to clarify how we work with duty
holders to assist them in complying with their
decommissioning obligations and the types
of compliance actions they can expect where Stuart Smith
compliance cannot be demonstrated. Further Chief Executive Officer
compliance action on decommissioning can be
expected over the coming year.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 5
HOT SURFACES POSE
PREVENTING MAJOR
ACCIDENT EVENTS
HYDROCARBON IGNITION RISK
Offshore oil and gas facilities typically have power generation
and processing equipment that will generate or contain
significant heat, and consequently hot surfaces. An exposed
hot surface can be an ignition source if there were to be a leak
of flammable hydrocarbons. This could potentially lead to a
major accident event such as fire or explosion and loss of life.
The risk of such a catastrophic event is real, significant, and
cannot be ignored.
NOPSEMA has received multiple Where a hot surface exceeds the
notifications of dangerous maximum temperature specified in
occurrences from hot surfaces the performance standard, in line
associated with equipment including with the safety case or an industry
turbines, steam systems, and boilers. standard, the duty holder must
Each occurrence was unique due to immediately take steps to mitigate
the specific type, design, and layout or reduce the risk of ignition. This
of equipment, as well as the design could include shutting down the
standards applied and the types of equipment, reducing production,
hydrocarbons at the facility. The risk delaying or suspending any high-
of a major accident event was the risk activities, undertaking a formal
common factor. risk assessment, more dispersion
modelling, increasing the frequency
To ensure the risk of hydrocarbons
of assurance activities, and/or
igniting from exposure to a hot
re-engineering the equipment.
surface can be managed, duty
holders should, at the design In May, NOPSEMA released a draft
phase of their facility, determine information paper to raise awareness
the maximum surface temperature and highlight appropriate approaches
of equipment during normal and to managing the risk of hydrocarbons
abnormal conditions. Hotter-than- igniting from exposure to hot surfaces.
expected surface temperatures may The paper presents our observations
occur during operational life for and expectations around general risk
several reasons, for example due to management approaches, based
degradation of insulation material. on industry standards and relevant
good industry practice to ensure that
In this case, duty holders must have
equipment at a facility is safe and
performance standards in place that
without risk to health.
define the assurance activities that
will control, manage, and monitor the The draft Management of hot surface
risk of hydrocarbons igniting from information paper is available on
hot surfaces. our website. Currently, NOPSEMA is
considering feedback provided by
industry and other stakeholders in
finalising the paper.
6 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021
INSPECTIONS TO INCREASE
FOCUS ON HIGHEST RISK
NOPSEMA is changing how it programs its inspections, spending less time
inspecting activities where the duty holder has demonstrated compliance and
more time inspecting higher risk activities.
While NOPSEMA’s regulatory processes have to own the risks and must address issues and
long been regarded as world-class, recent non-compliance identified by NOPSEMA in a
events including the COVID-19 pandemic, the timely manner.
decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour,
NOPSEMA will continue to issue
and the Australian Government’s deregulation
recommendations to set out the actions it
agenda has prompted NOPSEMA to change its
expects duty holders to take to address issues
approach to ensure we remain effective.
and non-compliance. Recommendations are
A more flexible and dynamic approach to issued where the issue or non-compliance is of a
inspections will improve NOPSEMA’s efficiency nature that can be managed by the duty holder,
by redirecting resources to monitor the does not pose an immediate or significant threat,
higher risk activities and reduce regulatory and is not a serious or blatant contravention
burden on duty holders that have already of the law. NOPSEMA will follow-up all
demonstrated compliance. recommendations and take enforcement action
where warranted.
NOPSEMA will maintain a ‘baseline’ frequency
of risk-based inspections, for example, we will Further changes are being considered including
continue to inspect activities where the duty greater flexibility for duty holders to manage
holder has demonstrated compliance, but the risks and increased accountability to address
activity and oil type pose a higher risk. the cause(s) of non-compliance identified by
NOPSEMA. In the coming months, NOPSEMA
NOPSEMA will also now include formal
will publish a revised Inspection policy for
conclusions in its inspection reports to
comment detailing the forthcoming changes.
ensure our findings and observations are
communicated clearly. Duty holders will continue
IN
SP
EC
T IO
N
PROG
RAM M
ING
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 7
RESPONSIBLE ASSET
STEWARDSHIP
8 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021ENSURING RESPONSIBLE
DECOMMISSIONING
While the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas facilities
has been a legal obligation in Australia since the late 1960s,
only a handful of facilities have been decommissioned in
that time. Now, more than half of the facilities regulated
by NOPSEMA are more than 20 years old, some more than
50 years, and at least 13 have ceased production. Many of
these facilities will need to be decommissioned over the
next five to ten years.
Responsible decommissioning, To assist duty holders in
that is safe and cost-efficient, is understanding and complying with
challenged when duty holders leave their decommissioning obligations
their planning for decommissioning NOPSEMA has published several
to the end of a facilities life. guidance documents. This included
a Section 572 Maintenance and
“Responsible decommissioning
removal of property regulatory
means planning for safe
policy in 2020 that outlined all of
decommissioning right from the
the pre-existing decommissioning
design stage, and well before facilities
requirements and NOPSEMA’s
have been installed” said NOPSEMA’s
expectations on how they should
Head of Environment and
be met.
Decommissioning, Cameron Grebe.
In 2019, the Minister for Resources
and Northern Australia issued
a Statement of Expectations to
NOPSEMA in which he highlighted
the need for heightened oversight
Responsible
of duty holder compliance with decommissioning
their decommissioning obligations. means planning for safe
NOPSEMA subsequently
decommissioning right
increased its promotion and
advice, compliance monitoring, from the design stage
and enforcement activities
for decommissioning.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 9Recently, NOPSEMA published At NOPSEMA, we recognise the
a five-year Decommissioning increasing pressure placed on
Compliance Strategy to communicate duty holders to reduce costs as
how it would work with duty holders production declines, however, it
to ensure timely and responsible remains a legal requirement for duty
planning and implementation of holders to maintain all property
decommissioning activities. and equipment in good condition
and repair. It is unacceptable for
"Our goal is to have
duty holders to allow their disused
decommissioning plans in place
property and equipment to degrade
by 2023 for all facilities where
to a point where it becomes too
property and equipment is no longer
dangerous to remove or otherwise
in use, and by 2025, property and
safely decommission.
equipment should be removed within
five years of not being used and Recently, NOPSEMA has found
wells permanently abandoned within several cases of corrosion and
three years of ceasing production" other structural damage, particularly
said NOPSEMA’s Decommissioning at ageing assets. Cases such as
Manager, David Christensen. this will challenge a duty holders’
ability to decommission responsibly.
In support of the strategy,
NOPSEMA will be closely monitoring
NOPSEMA has also published a
duty holders to ensure they are
Decommissioning Compliance Plan.
carrying out the required inspection,
The plan identifies the types of
monitoring, maintenance, and
compliance actions duty holders can
repair processes.
expect NOPSEMA to consider
depending on several factors.
This includes the length of time
a field has been in permanent
state of non-production, the level NOPSEMA has found
of planning and preparation for several cases of
decommissioning in current, or
under revision, permissioning corrosion and other
documents, and the level of structural damage
integrity issues likely to limit
options for decommissioning.
10 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021“In taking appropriate and
proportionate compliance action,
NOPSEMA seeks to further clarify to
NOPSEMA seeks duty holders their decommissioning
to further clarify to obligations and NOPSEMA’s
duty holders their expectations,” said Mr Christensen.
decommissioning Over the next year, NOPSEMA
will engage with the duty holders
obligations and we have identified as requiring
NOPSEMA’s a higher or moderate level of
expectations regulatory oversight to discuss
their compliance with their
decommissioning obligations. In
most cases, duty holders should
NOPSEMA has already issued expect lower-level compliance action
directions for Eni’s Woollybutt field to be taken, for example NOPSEMA
and Woodside’s Enfield, and to requesting revisions to accepted
Exxon Mobil (Esso) for multiple non- permissioning documents.
producing facilities in the Bass Strait.
“Each case will be unique with
The directions set clear timeframes a range of circumstances and
for plugging and abandoning wells, considerations that we will need
removing property and equipment, to take into account before taking
protecting natural resources, and any type of compliance action,”
making good any damage to said Mr Christensen.
the seabed. The directions also
To learn more about NOPSEMA’s
require property and equipment to
expectations and how to comply with
be maintained in good condition
your decommissioning obligations
and repair so that it may be safely
please visit our website.
removed or, where NOPSEMA
approves an alternative solution such
as repurposing, remain on location.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 11IMPROVING
PREVENTING MAJOR
ACCIDENT EVENTS
OFFSHORE
CRANE SAFETY
Since mid-2020, NOPSEMA has observed a significant
increase in reports of dangerous occurrences relating to
offshore cranes. Following 29 investigations, NOPSEMA has
highlighted crane safety as an area of increased risk and
hence a priority for compliance monitoring.
Across 35 fixed facilities regulated by These findings indicated that the crane was
NOPSEMA, there are 67 pedestal cranes, operated in a condition that increased the
as well as several other types of cranes in potential for failure, placing workers at risk.
operation. It is clear that a crane is both
During NOPSEMA’s investigation, the duty
an essential piece of equipment on many
holder took the crane out of operation
facilities, and also one of inherent risk, making
and it remains out of operation to date.
it important for duty holders to be mindful of
NOPSEMA issued an improvement notice
operational pressures on their decision-making
to ensure the duty holder completed all the
when it comes to crane operations and the
necessary steps to reduce risk to as low as
consequences for workforce safety.
reasonably practicable.
Globally, the offshore industry has seen
Further to the safety bulletin, NOPSEMA is
many catastrophic incidents involving
preparing to publish an Improving Offshore
cranes collapsing or loads being dropped
Crane Safety discussion paper outlining its
resulting in death and serious injury, damage
observations and expectations. This includes
to equipment and infrastructure, and the
common failures identified across all reported
release of hydrocarbons with safety and
dangerous occurrences such as management
environmental consequences.
of corrective maintenance, competency of
In May 20201, NOPSEMA issued the Safe personnel, and applying lessons learned.
operation of degraded cranes with reduced
NOPSEMA hosted a workshop with industry
capacity safety bulletin in response to three
duty holders and crane subject matter experts
incidents involving cranes that were being
in July to provide insights into the contributory,
operated with degraded capabilities.
causal and other relevant factors of the recent
In one of the more concerning incidents, the crane-related dangerous occurrences and to
duty holder had failed to use its management of identify leading practices and opportunities
change procedures to assess the risk of using for improvement. NOPSEMA's crane safety
a crane with structural corrosion, failed to use presentation, which was delivered at the
any recognised standard during a load test of workshop, can be viewed on our website.
that crane and failed to examine the crane after
the load test before putting the crane back
into operation at a reduced lifting capacity.
12 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021APPEA FOCUS
NOPSEMA was pleased to be able to host a With blue hydrogen and carbon capture and
booth at this year’s very successful APPEA storage both prominent on the agenda it seems
conference in Perth. The largest in-person the oil and gas industry is well positioned
conference in Australia since COVID appeared to support Australia’s energy supply and
in early 2019 ran smoothly, and it was great contribute to global targets to meet net zero
to see a diverse range of participants in by 2050.
the plenary sessions. Plenty of delegates
Our Head of Safety and Integrity,
took the opportunity to come and ask
Derrick O’Keeffe, presented on industry’s
questions or chat to the NOPSEMA team.
response to COVID-19 and what comes next,
Our new decommissioning brochure was
as well as deferred maintenance and the impact
especially popular.
it has on safety. Both presentations can be
The focus of the conference was squarely viewed on our website.
on the role of oil and gas in a net zero future.
Our CEO, Stuart Smith, spoke at the CEO’s
There were some excellent presentations
safety forum about mental health and the
that demonstrated a willingness to embrace
importance of duty holders working with the
the shift in thinking required to position the
offshore workforce to address this increasingly
oil and gas industry as a key player in global
challenging issue, particularly in the context of
emissions reductions.
the pandemic and its ongoing impacts.
In the opening plenary, Prime Minister Scott
Decommissioning was the theme of several
Morrison reaffirmed the importance of gas as
sessions with industry showing good signs
a driver of Australia’s post-COVID economic
of preparedness for the significant volume of
recovery, and former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel
decommissioning work that will be required
confirmed the critical role for gas, not only
in Australia over the next 10 years. It was
as a transition fuel, but as one of the many
great to see industry showing a desire to
ingredients required to produce high volume
take a collaborative approach to tackling the
and reliable renewable energy supply.
decommissioning liability.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 13IMPROVING INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN COMMERCIAL
FISHERIES AND SEISMIC
PROPONENTS
Where a seismic survey is proposed in, or adjacent to, important fishing
grounds, conflict between the party conducting the seismic survey and
commercial fishers often arises. Managing this conflict can be difficult as
each industry has a ‘licence to operate’ in the marine area but neither
has priority usage. In the absence of a formal framework to guide the
interactions between them, issues have to be identified and resolved through
case-by-case assessment under the OPGGS Environment Regulations which
creates tensions and burden for parties required to be consulted.
Recently, the Senate Inquiry into Seismic proponents expressed
the Impacts of Seismic Testing on concern about how difficult it is to
Fisheries and the Marine Environment access fisheries information and
released its final report. NOPSEMA other relevant evidence to inform
welcomed the inquiry, actively taking their evaluation and management of
part by preparing a submission impacts to commercial fisheries and
and attending a hearing via video their target species, and how that
conference to provide evidence. prolongs the assessment of their
NOPSEMA’s submission has been environment plan.
described as being both ‘excellent
and very comprehensive’.
Part of the inquiry’s focus was
on understanding the conflict without good
between seismic survey
relationships... it is
proponents and commercial
fishers. Stakeholders representing unlikely such conflict
commercial fisheries expressed can be appropriately
concern about the impact of addressed by
high intensity sound emissions
on commercially important fish
NOPSEMA and
and invertebrate species and the Environment
subsequent disruption of their Regulations alone.
fishing operations.
14 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021When it comes to this type of This work initiated the establishment
conflict, a lot of attention is directed of a collaborative forum, chaired by
at the regulatory process, but DISER aimed at developing a policy
without good relationships or framework with new initiatives to
proper consideration of genuine conflict and improving cooperation
concerns, it is unlikely such conflict between seismic survey proponents
can be appropriately addressed by and commercial fishers. The policy
NOPSEMA and the Environment framework concept is adopted from
Regulations alone. a similar framework successfully
implemented in Norway and
NOPSEMA has been supporting the
identified by both industries as a
Department of Industry, Science,
leading practice.
Energy and Resources (DISER)
and the Department of Agriculture, Key Australian commercial fishing
Water and the Environment (DAWE) groups and offshore petroleum peak
in facilitating the two industries bodies (and their members) are
to explore and agree on more supportive of the project and have
collaborative solutions. agreed to collaborate in agreeing
specific measures within the
framework to remove some of the
points of conflict and burden in the
individual survey approvals.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 15Currently, this collaboration includes
developing guidance for strategic
and operational engagement
between the industries, a standard
loss adjustment protocol that enables
fishers to make evidence-based
claims for compensation for
financial losses as a direct result of a
seismic survey and other measures
the industries identify and agree
as helpful.
Ultimately it is up to the industries to
agree on solutions that address their
respective needs. The case-by-case
Ultimately it is up assessment and approval by
to the industries to NOPSEMA for individual seismic
surveys will remain and issues that
agree on solutions
cannot be resolved by the industries
that address their will continue to arise through the
respective needs individual assessments.
The seismic inquiry also focussed on
scientific uncertainty about the short
and long-term effects of noise on
marine life. To address the challenges
presented by scientific uncertainty,
NOPSEMA requires seismic
proponents to implement a thorough
environmental impact assessment
process with scientifically sound
application of the best available
data. Where a gap in data creates
uncertainty as to whether impacts
will be of an acceptable level, a
range of measures are required
16 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021to address this. This may
include taking a precautionary
approach by excluding sensitive
locations and/or times of NOPSEMA supports
year, implementing adaptive the formation of
management to respond to a collaborative
information gathered during
a survey, and/or validating research framework
impact predictions through in Australia
environmental monitoring.
The measures required to address
scientific uncertainty can add
NOPSEMA supports the formation of
significant cost to a seismic
a collaborative research framework in
survey and, at times, be a barrier to
Australia for the offshore petroleum
the objectives of the survey being
industry. A well-designed framework
achieved. There are a number of
has the potential to produce research
examples in Australia and around
that will support evidence-based
the world where these challenges
environmental impact assessments
are being addressed through
and improve environmental
collaborative research frameworks.
management outcomes. The
For example, the Fisheries Research
mechanism by which such a
and Development Corporation, the
framework is funded and governed
Influence of Man-made Structures on
will need detailed analysis and
the Ecosystem in the North Sea and
consideration of the lessons learned
the IOGP-JIP Sound and Marine Life
from similar frameworks.
Program. These frameworks have
been successful in answering key
environmental impact assessment
questions, without imposing
unreasonable costs on proponents.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 17EFFECTIVE OIL
POLLUTION EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE
A central tenet of outcomes-based regulation is that of continual improvement.
What this means is that the industry must regularly examine controls and
arrangements to identify and implement possible improvements, such as
adopting new technology, services, procedures, and practices, to meet increasing
community expectations.
Following the Montara and Macondo To ensure the Australian industry maintained
disasters, the global oil and gas industry its focus on continual improvement,
demonstrated its capacity for continual NOPSEMA established oil pollution emergency
improvement by implementing a suite of joint preparedness as one of its strategic
industry projects to improve oil spill response compliance focus areas. We examined options
capability. These projects brought substantial for improvement in oil spill preparedness
developments across globally pre-positioned and capability and worked with the industry
capping stacks and ancillary equipment, to implement the improvements. In 2017,
dispersant stockpiles, and a range of other NOPSEMA established the Spill Risk
capability and preparedness measures. Cooperative Forum (SRCF) to provide
titleholders a forum where they could
explore cooperative solutions for improved
18 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021preparedness and response measures, The learnings from the workshop led
solutions that would otherwise be out of reach NOPSEMA and IOPER to collaborate with
for a single titleholder. the International Association of Oil & Gas
Producers (IOGP) to develop the Response
The success of the SRCF contributed to APPEA
Time Model (RTM). The RTM is a tool designed
forming an industry Oil Spill Preparedness
to assist titleholders in identifying the tasks
& Response Working Group (OSPRWG) to
and predicting the timelines for capping a well
further develop and implement improvement
blowout. The IOGP published Report 592;
options. NOPSEMA recently engaged with the
a toolkit for the RTM to guide planning of timely
OSPRWG while undertaking a revision of its
source control emergency response. The report
Oil Pollution Risk Management guidance note.
was co-presented by NOPSEMA and IOGP at
The revision was undertaken to incorporate
the recent International Oil Spill Conference to
industry feedback and improve the clarity and
disseminate the knowledge and the RTM to the
effectiveness of the guidance. The guidance
global industry.
note is now available for comment on
our website and NOPSEMA encourages all of Through 2020–21, NOPSEMA and the APPEA
its stakeholders to provide feedback. Drilling Industry Steering Committee (DISC)
worked to embed the learnings of the RTM
Internationally, NOPSEMA took a leading role
into the Australian offshore petroleum industry.
as a member of the International Offshore
Recently, NOPSEMA and IOGP presented the
Petroleum Environment Regulators (IOPER)
work at the APPEA conference and announced
group in establishing their Oil Spill Working
the release of the APPEA Australian Offshore
Group. From 2018–20, NOPSEMA’s Drilling
Titleholders Source Control guideline and
and Spill Risk Manager, Rhys Jones, chaired
the NOPSEMA Source Control Planning and
the group and led a work stream focussed
Procedures information paper. The paper
on the timelines of source control response.
clarifies NOPSEMA’s expectations for source
Mr Jones reflected on the group’s work in
control content within an environment plan,
leading improvement in oil spill response at the
well operations management plan, and
plenary session of the recent International Oil
safety case, as well as a source control
Spill Conference.
emergency response plans (SCERP), which is
“Across the industry, it was clear to us that an operational response plan developed and
response planning was inconsistent and the maintained by titleholders. APPEA’s guideline
logistics capability to deploy wasn’t uniformly provides the industry with further details of the
understood. We saw an opportunity to improve SCERP content requirements, consistent with
the timeframe for deploying a capping stack IOGP guidance for source control.
and source control equipment to respond to a
Moving forward, NOPSEMA sees many more
loss of well control,” said Mr Jones.
opportunities for continual improvement. This
With that goal, NOPSEMA and IOPER partnered includes testing of global oil spill response
with APPEA in 2019 to host a Source Control capability to ensure it is operationally ready
Workshop. The workshop was attended by and improving arrangements for effective and
120 participants from nearly 40 organisations efficient incident management control of a
who shared valuable knowledge on the tasks large-scale oil spill response. NOPSEMA will
required to deploy and install a capping stack continue to focus on oil pollution emergency
and where efforts should be directed to improve preparedness and work with the industry,
timeliness and effectiveness. technical authorities, and international
regulatory counterparts to drive improvement.
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 192020 KEY PERFORMANCE DATA
177 561 36
INSPECTIONS ENFORCEMENT
INVESTIGATIONS
ACTIONS
1055 387
STAKEHOLDER ASSESSMENTS
MEETINGS
8.5million Completed assessments included:
86 occupational health and safety
TOTAL HOURS 42 environmental management
WORKED OFFSHORE 26 well integrity
A decrease of 3.1 million
233 other
from 2019
0 FATALITIES
1 SERIOUS 7 368
INJURY DANGEROUS
ACCIDENTS
OCCURRENCES
27
INJURIES 60
includes lost time ≥ 3 days, WELL INTEGRITY
alternative duties and medical INCIDENTS
treatment injuries
8
18 COMPLAINTS ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
Regarding duty holder
INCIDENTS
performance
20 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021TOTAL FIXED
FACILITIES
1
Facility 7 5
1
types
1
21
Fixed facilities 6
6
Pipeline TOTAL FIXED
FACILITIES
7 27
FPSO
Floating facility 53
Platform NNM
Not normally manned
7
NT
2020 OFFSHORE
Platform NM
Normally manned
Subsea QLD
Infrastructure 5
INDUSTRY ACTIVITY
WA
439
Seismic SA
activity
NSW
1
ACT
Wells
VIC 12
7 TOTAL FIXED
Note: There was no greenhouse gas activity FACILITIES
in NOPSEMA’s jurisdiction in 2020.
TAS
75
454 55
7 Mobile offshore
drilling units 1
TOTAL FIXED
FACILITIES
2
4
1 12
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021
6 Vessels
21Expression
of interest:
Help us improve
our website
In June NOPSEMA successfully
launched its new website.
The new website has integrated
NOPSEMA’s three pillars of
Safety, Integrity and Environment
into one ‘Offshore Industry’
section.
NOPSEMA is now looking to
refine the user experience by
seeking expressions of interest
from interested stakeholders to
provide their feedback on the new
website. All feedback will be used
to inform future improvements
to the website including design,
structure, and functionality.
If you are interested in
participating, please visit
our website and complete the
online form.
22 THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021Report an
incident
To notify NOPSEMA of
an accident, dangerous
occurrence, environmental
or well integrity incident call:
1300 674 472
THE REGULATOR ISSUE 2 2021 23nopsema.gov.au National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) ABN 22 385 178 289
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