(47f) Are We in Control of Our Safety Critical Equipment in Drilling Operations?

Are We in Control of Our Safety Critical Equipment SCE in Drilling operations?

Claudio Castañeda - Well Integrity Leader

EQUION Energia Ltd

Loss of Well control during drilling, workover or intervention operations in a well is by far the top major accident in the drilling industry but relatively rare except for major disasters like Macondo.

Blow out preventers and associated equipment is then considered safety critical equipment and the hard line of defense for the risk of losing control in a well either onshore or offshore. But are they duly certified and periodically maintained or tested in such a way that we are sure about their reliability??

Major incidents and then stringent regulations are moving the drilling industry towards real management of process safety where safety critical equipment play a first role if operations go out of driller´s control among of procedures and competent crews.

In our onshore operations in the Casanare foothills, EQUION and their major drilling contractors have implemented SCE management processes starting from the identification of critical equipment using bow-tie diagrams for every major operation and its associated risks. Then, by ensuring that ratings and specifications are defined and including critical tasks within their rig asset maintenance systems, establishing key performance indicators to ensure SCE are being inspected, maintained and tested to manufacturers and industry specifications and ensuring the inclusion of lessons learnt. The SCE management system is enforcing process safety in our operations.

Bow-tie diagrams were worked together with field teams and performance standards for SCE are being developed considering four key areas: functionality, availability, reliability, interaction with other systems. The SCE management was extended to all critical systems in the rig as well as in the well intervention and testing of wells equipment.

Sharing lessons in our industry will help others to achieve a true culture towards process safety in our drilling operations not only offshore but onshore where these efforts in some South American countries just start to be launched.

September/2013