(64x) Assessing the Risk from Helicopter Operation at Offshore North WEST JAVA FIELD

PHE ONWJ as the operator of Offshore North West Java field uses helicopter for medical evacuation, project requirements, and management visit. Due to operational requirements, the helicopter usage in PHE ONWJ increases significantly; at present it is almost doubled compared to that in 2010. PHE ONWJ acknowledged the inherent risks associated with helicopter operations, and has put effort to understand these risks and to manage them better.

To kick-off this initiative, a comprehensive helicopter risk assessment study which covers two risk aspects of the helicopter operation has been done to assess:
- risk to helicopter passengers, and
- risk to the installations, including personnel onboard.
Correspondingly, two separate studies have been carried out: helicopter transportation risk study to analyze the risk to helicopter passengers, and helicopter impact risk study with focus on the risk to personnel and facilities onboard the installations. The study was conducted utilizing a well-known methodology and data published by OGP and DNV GL combined with brainstorming session with Event Tree Analysis (ETA) being used as the main tool to identify and analyze all foreseeable accidental scenarios, likelihoods and consequences. The result of individual risk was calculated as IRPA while societal risk was presented in F-N Curve. These risk parameters were subsequently evaluated against relevant PHE ONWJ’s risk criteria.

The study shows that risks to helicopter passengers and installations are within tolerable levels. It is also found out that the risk from helicopter impact contributes about 1-2% of the overall risk at offshore installations, depending on the actual number of flights to/from each installation and its lay out. It is concluded that the helicopter flights management and the offshore installations conditions are suitable for PHE ONWJ to sustain the current operational requirements.