Norway’s oil industry body the OLF has published 45 recommendations on how to prevent major accidents offshore after research following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster.
The recommendations were drawn up by experts from Norway’s petroleum sector who joined forces following the explosion and death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon.
A report outlining the recommendations concludes that the Norwegian Continental Shelf was “characterised by a robust regulatory regime and that the oil and gas business works safely”.
“There will nevertheless always be room for improvement,” said project manager Olav Skotheim. “Our most important recommendations concern updating drilling and well standards.
“We have also looked at changes to management systems, how a possible blowout can be halted as quickly as possible and how to optimise efforts to clean up oil spills.”
Recommendations from investigations into the Macondo disaster were studied as part of the work, which included discussions with the International Organisation for Oil and Gas Producers and with the US authorities.
The report found many measures had already been adopted by the Norwegian industry.
This includes the establishment of the Subsea Well Response Project, set up by nine oil companies, which created equipment to shut down out-of-control wells as well as possible oil spill collection systems.
Recommendations from the experts are being implemented by the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies on behalf of the industry.