Oil and Gas Decommissioning: Health and Safety Report and Analysis

This report examines the health and safety measures essential during the decommissioning of oil and gas facilities, particularly focusing on the Pioneering Spirit vessel's operations in the North Sea. It details the importance of hazard identification, risk management, and the development of safety cases, as mandated by UK regulations. The report addresses various risks, including those related to hydrocarbons, well integrity, and pipeline disconnection, alongside the need for abandonment safety cases submitted to the HSE. It also covers the employer's responsibilities in ensuring worker safety, including the removal of hazardous materials like asbestos and mercury, and the importance of proper labeling and waste disposal. The report further discusses adherence to health and safety policies, challenges related to lifting operations, diving interventions, and hazardous substances, as well as the impact of weather and marine growth. It highlights the need for effective evacuation, escape, and rescue procedures, emphasizing the significance of compliance with regulations managed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the role of the new oil and gas regulatory body.

HEALTH
AND
SAFETY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Monitoring the health and safety ................................................................................................1
Agreement with the health and safety regulations......................................................................3
Employer's Safety........................................................................................................................4
Business Case for Decommissioning..........................................................................................6
Communication with stakeholders in considering the health and safety and decommissioning.
.....................................................................................................................................................6
Appropriate Examples of Oil and Gas Decommissioning..........................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
The Pioneering Spirit is considered as the world's largest construction vessel with a
capacity of 48,000 tonnes. The ship is specially designed and specialised for the removal of
large oil and gas platforms. Completely decorated with cranes, pipelines of oil and managed by a
crew of various workers, the Pioneering Spirit resides in the port of Rotterdam (Azaroff and et.al,
2010). The ship will arrive in the North Sea next month because various equipment is due to be
withdrawn. Their focus is on removing the top of the shell equipment. These equipment are
being withdrawn at a cost of billions to the oil companies and the taxpayers. According to the Oil
and Gas, almost 300 equipment, structures of the sub-sea and the various pipelines from about
144 fields and 1000 wells, these all are decided to get tout of the service. The report is about
health and safety measures while the decommissioning of the equipments for oil and gas
facilities.
Monitoring the health and safety
During the whole management of the decommissioning projects in the North Sea
offshore, various health and safety measures has to be taken. The process involves various
factors such as identifying the hazards, risk management, various methods for developing the
safety cases. These are discussed as under:
Risks and Hazards
If proper evaluation of the risks has already taken place, it becomes quite easy to
dismantle or exclude the offshore equipment and the pipelines. It also helps in an efficient and
safe system of work. There are a variety of risks that deals with the removal of the rigs that
seems similar to those which arise at the time of construction or its maintenance. These
operations are being carried out on and also the off shore. Identifying the risk before it happens
helps in at least preventing it by taking some measures against it (Hjarnoe and Leppin, 2013).
While applying some measures like this, the practitioners can make sure of saving themselves
from any misshapen. They can themselves recognize the danger as if sometime, anything they
found is uncertain or they feel some sort of risk. There are some risks that are being encountered
during the dismantling the offshore installations and these are discussed as under:
 All the installations must be free from any source of hydrocarbons.
 Properly Plugged and sealed wells should be there.
 The pipelines should be either remote or properly disconnected.
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 The processing plant should be free from any hydrocarbon liquids and gasses. These
are properly removed by them by either draining, venting etc.
The Abandonment Safety Case
According to the existing regulations of UK, it is important to provide an abandonment
safety case to the HSE ( Health And Safety Executive) by all the involved operators. It has to be
done for taking the approval. The ship also have to first submit a case after which they can be
permitted to the whole dismantling process for the oil and gas facilities. The HSE inspectors do
all the process internally and also discuss the same with the other operators as . They have to do
it all so that they can be ensure about the main areas of concern. Pioneering Spirit also has to
take the approval by HSE at least six months prior to any dismantling or decommissioning
activity (Cunningham, Sinclair and Schulte, 2014).
Responsibility
The management should ensure about the safety of the practitioners so that they may not
become a victim of any uncertainty. While the whole decommissioning process, as it is a hard
task to do, anything can happen because of a single mistake of them. It can prove very harmful
also, as it can affect their lives too. Although the management is responsible for managing the
proper care of the employees, they should also take proper care and also should be able to
themselves from any danger. The management should make sure to guide all the employees
aware about the knowledge of various hazards and measures for preventing them. The authorities
should also monitor them while undergoing the decommissioning or dismantling process. At any
place if they found that any misshapen or uncertain activity can happen, they can immediately
stop the work and take the specific preventive measures.
Evacuation, Escape and Rescue (EER)
Because of the small platforms, these have not received efficient consideration. It has
been determined specially for the offshore exclusion and decommissioning. The effect of the
risks on the ability of EER has its own importance. It also focuses on giving the proper training
to the decommissioning workforce. It is specially being provided to those who are not aware of
the installation. The changes in the following strategy must ensure the involvement of the
exclusion of the hydrocarbons for an effective production. If all the topsides of the Pioneering
Spirit are being decommissioned as a single unit, it will be done in various months. Any
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unfavourable issues on the capability of the EER that is concerned with the dismantling or
decommissioning activity, can make the safety issue, a long term one.
Agreement with the health and safety policies
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) manages many of the
regulations and policies that are in consideration with the decommissioning of the offshore oil
and gas installations. It all comes under the Petroleum Act 1988 . The Pioneering Spirit deals
with various health and safety policies and some major challenges are discussed as under:
Lifting
It is considered as the capability for a huge number of lift and these lifts are vessel based.
It also includes the unpredictability which surround the structured integrity of a section that is
aged pipe section, concrete mattresses etc. Various alternatives can be added as self erecting
tower or cranes that are pedestal (Azaroff and et.al, 2010).
Diving
In this a specific diver intervention is very essential. It helps in supporting the extensive
cutting and lifting operations of the sub sea.
Hazardous Substances
All the residual constitution within the pipelines should include the chemicals from
umbilical cord cores, hydrocarbons, deposits of wax and methanol. Asbestos and mercury acts a
very toxic element, hence the Pioneering Spirit should avoid the use of these two minerals.
Usage of these minerals in any case makes it a hazardous waste. There are some regulations also
for the land filling of those wastes also. Proper labelling has to be done in order to land fill them
accurately . Without these proper labellings, it cannot be done (Zohar, 2014).
Integrity
The internal flaws and the degradation in the wall of the steel pipe or concrete windings
of the old pipelines should be prevented. Various coatings are used on the internal structure of
the pipelines. Many toxic chemicals are used in that paints which are being used as a winding of
the pipes. The chemicals can be very dangerous as it contains copper, zinc and PCBs. So, at the
time of cutting of those pipes, these paints are to be removed first because at the time of cutting
of those pipes, gases evolve out of those pipes. It can prove very harmful for the one cutting the
pipes. So, proper measures should be taken in order to make the employees safe from any
hazardous activity.
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High Levels of Activity
There are a huge number of workers working at different stages of a project in the
decommissioning process. Whether it is onshore or offshore, all the workers are efficiently
working in a constantly changing environment.
Poor Weather
Sometimes weather changes and is does not seems suitable for working in the offshores
but the workers still work. The change in climate increases the time duration of all the tasks by
forbidding the work (Cunningham, Sinclair and Schulte, 2014). It however increases the overall
number of the workers and hours that are required for the installations at the offshore. When
there are more number of workers, more complications also increases. The burden of
management also increases as they have to take proper care of all of them. The workers at the
Pioneering Spirit are so efficient that they work whatever the climate goes on.
Marine Growth
The management should also take proper care of the waste and order to be recycled well
so that it does not effect the overall surroundings in which the workers are working.
There is a policy of the UK government and that is to increase the overall cost effective recovery
of the resources. A new oil and gas regulatory body was established on 1 April 2015. It improved
the overall process a bit. As the Pioneering Spirit has various equipments which are to be
decommissioned in UK and Norwegian waters. It has to be done at a billion cost to the
taxpayers and the oil companies (Hjarnoe and Leppin, 2013).
Employer's Safety
Whenever these onshore activities of decommissioning are started, risk factors are also
need to be evaluated properly. Before the exclusion starts it is very important to ensure proper
safety of the workers. On the decommissioning of the equipments for various oil and gas
facilities, the management of Pioneering Spirit should also make sure to make their employees
safe from any hazardous activity. Some measures that can be taken for the safety of the
employees are discussed as under :
1. Removal of Asbestos – These are crystalline silicate minerals that may behave
carcinogenic. It is being widely used before for its properties as it behaves inert and is
stable at various temperatures. It has many unique properties also that it is elastic and
inflammable. It also behaves as a bad conductor of electricity. Although it has various
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unique properties, inhalation of it can be very dangerous and may cause several diseases
also. In various offshore activities, it has been used for insulation of heat and the surface
materials. Various examples can be floors and ceilings, insulation of pipelines etc.
Pioneering Spirit should consider the fact that they do not have to use asbestos as any
component or any along side material (Cunningham, Sinclair and Schulte, 2014). It will
help the ship to make safe the employees from any diseases or any other dangerous
factor. In some activities, where it is being used, that material is called as hazardous
waste., in that case it has to packed and labelled including the asbestos regulations. After
that only, it can be delivered to an approved to the landfill.
2. Use of Mercury – It is also considered as a heavy metal that behaves toxic in the latter. At
the time of destruction of platforms as when Pioneering Spirit will exclude its equipments
and platform, it can effect bad on the health. It can cause severe damage to their kidneys,
nervous system and sometimes behaves very allergic too. Even in very low
concentrations, it acts very hazardous. In the reservoir, it can be produced naturally. The
scale accumulated in the pipelines and those equipments that are to be removed may
contain some fraction of mercury. Pioneering Spirit should also ensure that the present
mercury is being removed (Azaroff and et.al, 2010). Various methods are there to remove
it like it can be removed by high pressure of water jetting. Pioneering Spirit has asked for
any clarifications about the regulations about the land filling of the wastes that is
mercury contaminated. Also, it is focusing on the need for leaching tests and various
other activities that can help in protecting the employees from any such activity.
3. Paints and other coatings – Various coatings are used on the structures of steel while on
installations. When these equipments are demolished, special precautions are need to be
applied. Paints constitute various toxic components as PCBs ( Polychlorinated biphenyl)
and various metals like copper, chromium, zinc etc. There are various paints that contain
a combination of asbestos and bitumen and they are also being used at various places for
different purposes. At the places where cutting machines are to be used, these types of
paints are to be removed first from them. It is so as it may release gases and that too are
very toxic in nature. Pioneering Spirit should consider this fact too while ensuring the
proper safety for the employees (Zohar, 2014). It is very important to take care of such
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measures because these workers does not stops working even if the climate changes and
whatsoever, tries to complete it as soon as they can.
Business Case for Decommissioning
As because of the offshore decommissioning of oil and gas facilities, the Pioneering
Spirit and its workers are facing many issues as it is a complex and complicated operation.
Sometimes when climate changes, the workers have to face major difficulties and those cannot
be avoided as well. They continue their work despite of the climate conditions but in that cases,
it took a larger time instead and also more number of workers. In various activities like
insulation of surface materials and heat, asbestos is used which is a very dangerous mineral.
Mercury is also being used in various offshore activities. While the destruction of the
equipments, mercury also effects on various parts of the health. It is a very toxic element and can
cause several cancers. The Pioneering Spirit should ensure that they may not include any such
toxic element so that the workers stay protected from any hazardous activity or diseases. Like
this, there are a lot of challenges the workers are facing on the ship. The management at the
Pioneering Spirit is much aware of all these challenges and searching for various ways so that
their employees can stay safe and healthy.
Communication with stakeholders in considering the health and safety and decommissioning.
It is very important to maintain the effective relationship with the other stake holders.
Some factors that need to be taken care of are, as following :
 Costs : It involves that an appropriate fraction of it is met by the taxpayers. It is meant to
be keep as low as possible. The Pioneering Spirit have to inspect carefully of the costs
that are being projected and it all has to be carried out by DECC. The inspection has to
be done at regular intervals just because to keep the process manageable.
 Knowledge Sharing : It enforces that the best practices are being regularly updated to all
the stakeholders including the customers, shareholders etc. Everyone is much aware of all
the latest practices that will help every party to minimise the costs and making the skill
set (Hjarnoe and Leppin, 2013).
 Skills : Both the skills of the authorities and the stakeholders are important for improving
and taking the business to a greater extent. The whole process of decommissioning
requires its share. Both the industry and government should work together so that
everyone can acquire the required skills.
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 Trust : Whenever a situation comes where the employee may not feel good by any
reason, may be because of some physical or mental issue, the management and the
stakeholders should encourage them and take proper care of them. It builds a trust factor
between both of them. Some sort of motivation is also required from the management to
stay focused. The Pioneering Spirit provides them that environment so they feel
comfortable while installing and all the other processes (Cunningham, Sinclair and
Schulte, 2014).
 Whole life system analysis : Decommissioning determines the importance of the
complete life of the product starting from installing. It is all done on the basis of
operational phase and its disposal. It is a systematic approach and is applicable when
products are to be more sustainable and should be encouraged across all the sectors.
Appropriate Examples of Oil and Gas Decommissioning
The oil and gas industries acts very important as industrial sectors and they also
contribute effectively to the priorities. A very recognised example of oil and gas
decommissioning can be Scotland. It is internationally considered as a centre of excellence for
the oil and gas industry. It has created a supply chain of Production and Exploration for about 50
years. The UKCS i.e. United Kingdom Continental Shelf acts as an important component of the
whole process. All the supply chains in Scotland are well known for their delivery of innovative
solutions and the expertise (Zohar, 2014). Their focus is on Maximising the recovery of the
economic. While focusing on their life cycle operations, assets end up the production, then the
legislation requires the safe decommission of the infrastructure.
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Illustration 1: Type, Location, Number and Size of North Sea oil and gas installations
Source : Offshore Oil and Gas Decommissioning, 2015

The figure above determines the whole statistics of the North Sea oil and gas installations. Its
Type, location, size and number, all has been included in the statistics above. The offshore Oil
and Gas industry has been under a huge increase from a past few years (Azaroff and et.al, 2010).
The Oil and Gas Authority established some strategies for decommission and the priorities for
those are listed as under :
 Validity of the cost and minimisation in a technically proficient and safe environment.
 Decommissioning the ability of the delivery in terms of capacity of the supply chain,
contract of the arrangements etc.
 Decommissioning the guidance, scope and the arrangement of the stakeholder when
working with the Department of Business and the Industrial Strategy.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the report that the Pioneering Spirit on the decommissioning
of the equipments deals with various concerns of the health and safety issues of the workers
loading them. The ship is shutting down its operations, closing the wells and cleaning it and
many other factors. While installing the equipments, it is concerned with the health and safety
measures of the workers. It also included about various challenges they have to face while
working on the project. The report also included that various methods such as use of some
minerals like mercury and asbestos are avoided in a way to make the workers safe from any
hazardous activity.
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Online
Offshore Oil and Gas Decommissioning. 2015. [PDF]. Available through :
<https://library.e.abb.com/public/d689c2f70f0c447586610ac566c9aa7e/ABB-Offshore-
Oil-and-Gas-Decommissioning-2015.pdf>. [Accessed on 5th August 2017].
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