Alerted major accident in the Barents Sea: Workers on Goliath demanded that production … – Tu.no

The security situation on Goliat FPSO was according to the main safety delegates (HVO) in Eni Norway so critical that the summer demanded that production would shut down immediately. They feared a major accident in the Barents Sea.

This information comes from a letter sent from HVO come to the company’s Norwegian management. TU has read the letter and the attachments to the letter.

In the wake of the critical letter cooperation between management and employees on Goliath have become noticeably better, partly by individual managers switching.

– A big problem

the letter, which was sent at the end of July, contains harsh criticism of the safety of operations at Goliath.

– we are deeply concerned about the security situation offshore, and feel that we have to highlight the plight of senior management at Eni Norway, said in the letter from the welfare service.

According to the letter Rated all HVO come continuously to leave their positions as HVO because of the security situation.

Among other things, it was pointed at a number of different events and conditions on the Goliath that was the triggering factor for expression of concern and the requirement to cease production was sent.

these include the following from protection service:

– When we ask personnel on board about what kind of perception they have of HMS Goliath match most that the main focus is to keep production going to virtually any cost and with the safety of the victim.

– This is a major management and Eni Norway problem and must be dealt with from the top, so that the entire safety culture can change, called it.

– must seriously consider the way forward

Here are some of the points raised and referred to:

• Injuries

 

• huge backlog of critical safety equipment

 

• Major error on the control and safety system, while it produced 100 percent

 

• Management has manufacturing top of the priority list, while safety culture harbors far down

 

• Several gas leaks on the main deck which has been ongoing for several months without it being done about it

 

• Barriere panel glows red

 

• Not enough time to make safety-critical maintenance

 

• Around 300 emergency does not

 

“Eni Norway must seriously consider whether this is the way forward. We are approaching a major accident scenario, “the letter reads.

The chief safety delegates writes the following about the various gas leaks on the main deck:

– The management introduces” no hot work ” on the main deck. That’s fine, but what about the environmental aspect? People working there under such conditions. How far should it go, ask HVO’s.

– Do whatever

It is drawn also revealed that there are very many activities on board, and that the vast majority of the resources used to make “ad hoc working” to keep production going.

– Meanwhile, backlog, both corrective and preventive, continues to increase.

the chief safety delegates writes that there simply are not enough qualified personnel on board who can both do the safety critical maintenance and keep production going at once.

– the resources are moved from a safety-critical job to another and we are not able to finish one task before another must be started. The priority of jobs changed much and this makes it difficult to work effectively, according to the main safety representatives.

In one of the annexes to the letter it is claimed also that it goes more than one alarm per minute over 50 percent of the time and that systems in several cases are being run without they are okay.

– This has been the way we do it aboard Goliath: we are running equipment with errors and does what anything to keep production of 100,000 barrels.

– Goliath withering state

– Security our culture wears along with Goliath withering state, it says.

In the letter keep safety representatives stated that they believe the production must be stopped before it happens a major accident.

– We all have a common goal to produce oil, as much and as long as possible. But it should be done in a safe manner. (…) We therefore have a clear sense that if we are to keep Goliat FPSO producing safely, we need to shut down production and make the necessary safety, it says.

– Obviously you need this being planned to make it as efficient as possible. But it must be done urgently. We’re never going to catch up with the backlog we have if we continue in the same way, they write on.

– Kick leg

But after HVO-one sends letter to Eni towards the end of July, the condition should be improved considerably.

Trond Arvid Larsen is part of the safety service on Goliat FPSO and says to TU that the letter to management was largely written so crass to get attention theirs.

He believes that to outsiders it may seem violent, but explains that this was litany of many issues over time, as it currently is corrected.

– We have attempted to be somewhat harsh so that they can accommodate us. It is nothing new that you send that kind of letter to management in this industry for kicking them a bit in the leg, says Larsen to TU.

– What we wanted was that together we could look at some of these things, and together prepare a plan and consider stronger a well planned turnaround earlier than initially planned. It happens that there is a great deal jobs pile up as you can not take the pace. It was this that was our point.

Switched management

He said that the letter in this way has been very effective.

– Many of things are already fixed and there are many other things going on. We have had several talks at a high level and have got a good dialogue, says Larsen.

– Was the letter, in other words an exaggeration on their part?

– No, I will not say. But as said earlier, is already among the most critical issues already fixed up in. It’s not a secret that we have had no gas leaks. But they have not been large compared to some other places.

He also says that it is not secret that they had problems with the Italian goal, but that it has now been replacements as has made it all better.

– Now it has come a Briton with experience from the Norwegian continental shelf and that have in-depth knowledge about the Norwegian oil industry and HSE on the Norwegian shelf. In just a few weeks cooperation has been much better. Everyday life looks better now and it is moving forward in the right direction. We hope for good cooperation with our new boss (MD), says Larsen.

Eni: Have rectified conditions

Communications Director at Eni Norway, Andreas Wulff says to TU that they have received letters.

– Eni Norge’s management confirms having received letters, which was immediately examined and followed up in the face of safety representatives. Some of the conditions that pointed everything has been rectified under existing plans, and several working meetings held now with the safety representatives to undergo further activities, according to Wulff.

– We look very seriously at any gas leakage. After conducting thorough investigation the cause identified and delineated and necessary measures have been implemented, he adds.

Wulff said that in the initial phase of a complex device in the magnitude Goliat FPSO is there will normally be different challenges.

– Eni has extensive experience in operating oil and gas installations internationally, with HSE performance that is among the best in the industry. We have a clear objective that the HSE performance on Goliath also shall be there, he said.

– We have recently seen stable operation, with full utilization of production capacity. Goliath was in July the fourth largest producer of oil on the Norwegian continental shelf, according to figures from NPD.