Andreas Lumbe Aas

A case study of ISO 11064 in control centre design in the Norwegian petroleum industry

In 2006-2008 we performed a case study for the purpose of assessing the industrial application of the seven part Control Centre (CC) design standard ISO 11064 to identify positive and negative experiences among stakeholders in the Norwegian petroleum sector. We mainly focussed on ISO 11064 Part 1, because this was the most commonly used among the identified stakeholders. ISO 11064 is generally appreciated and applied in the industry, but we did observe a significant variance in use between the different parts of the standard. We also identified potential areas for improvements, like scope and application adaptation. Thus we suggest a more goal-based approach based on one normative part only.

Proactive Indicators To Control Risks in Operations of Oil and Gas Fields

Due to increased need for oil and gas, new and more demanding oil fields must be explored in sensitive and challenging areas. Exploration of expert knowledge and new technology must be employed in these challenging situations. This collaboration and use of new technology introduces new ways of operating oil and gas fields. These new practices are often called “field of the future” or “integrated operations” (IO). These new practices are being implemented on the Norwegian continental shelf, leading to increased hydrocarbon recovery and changes in operations and maintenance. These practices may impact health, safety and environment (HSE), but should not increase the risks of major accidents or influence HSE in a negative manner.

Probing Human Error as Causal Factor in Incidents with Major Accident Potential

Existing literature suggests that human error indirectly linked to the majority of industrial incidents and accidents. The increasing use of computers and software in safety-critical systems makes systems more integrated and dependent and this can increase the risk if barrier integrity is reduced. This paper demonstrate show the Human Factors Assessment and Classification System (HFACS) can be applied to analyze incidents with major accident potential. One report from a Norwegian offshore Oil & Gas incident with major accident potential was analyzed to classify the causal factors for the purpose of making a relative comparison of these factors. The results revealed that failures on the organizational level were the most prevailing, representing almost three quarters of all causal factors, while unsafe acts represented fourteen percent. Thus, organizational factors appear essential in risk management and failures on the organizational level require more attention to mitigate risks in the future.

The Human Factors Assessment and Classification System (HFACS) for the Oil & Gas Industry

Human error is cited as a contributing factor in the majority (up to 80%) of industrial accidents and incidents. The Human Factors Assessment and Classification System (HFACS) was adapted for use in the Oil & Gas (O&G) industry to provide a common framework to systematically classify accident contributing factors.