Offshore staff
LONDON – Britain’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has published its Thematic Review into Industry Compliance with Regulatory Obligations.
This examined the reasons for mixed performance among UK offshore licensees concerning obligations, and investigated the following issues: license mechanics (the process of applying for, extending and renewing licenses); flaring, venting and production consents; pipeline works authorizations; wells consents; data requirements (data reporting, information and samples plans); and statutory notification of meetings.
The review included workshops with OGA staff, regulators in the UK and abroad and others, and analyzed results of an anonymous survey of people responsible for this work.
The findings suggest a need for improved training and better preparation for job handovers, the OGA said, and it has therefore issued the following recommendations to the industry:
- Coordinators for each area covered by the review
- Generic email addresses for coordinators
- Quarterly knowledge-sharing meetings for coordinators
- Address potential points of failure by ensuring that knowledge/roles are shared
- Ensure new staff understand all OGA guidance
- In the longer term, work with the OGA on development of an online training academy
- Consider new systems, including for energy transition requirements.
In support of this initiative, the OGA plans to review and revise existing guidance; deliver new wells guidance and training videos; incorporate survey feedback into ongoing IT developments, including guidance links and auto acknowledgement of statutory meeting notifications on its website.
But the authority warned it may also take enforcement action if necessary.
Tom Wheeler, OGA Director of Regulation, said: “The industry generally has a very good record of meeting its regulatory obligations, but in this area compliance has been patchy.
“While we are pleased with the response to our earlier interventions, this must be maintained and a minority still have improvements to make. In future, industry should expect us to be proactive in taking enforcement action.
“However, we are here to help and that is why we are pledging to improve the quality and accessibility of the guidance we produce and look forward to working with colleagues from industry on setting up a training academy and creating new systems, particularly for meeting the challenges posed by the energy transition.”
10/30/2020
