PSA probes ‘Snorre B’ for emergency preparedness

From 11 to 24 September 2014, the Petroleum Safety Authoority (PSA) Norway carried out an audit of Statoil focused on the company’s management of emergency preparedness on the Snorre B platform located in the Norwegian North Sea. 

The PSA says that the objective of the audit was to gain an overview of the processes and systems that contribute to ensuring comprehensive emergency preparedness management at Snorre B.

The audit focused on processes for ensuring that assumptions, prerequisites, limitations and recommendations in the emergency preparedness for Snorre B are catered for, and that they are communicated out to the emergency preparedness organisation.

The audit covered the following topics:

– Risk analysis, including prerequisites and assumptions;
– Emergency preparedness analysis;
– Measurement/verification/assessment of facility-specific performance requirements;
– Continuous improvement;
– Organisation of emergency preparedness on board;
– Training and drills;
– Administration and management of emergency preparedness on board.

According to the PSA, the main impression is that emergency preparedness on Snorre B is adequately provided for and the emergency preparedness organisation appeared to be robust.

However, one non-conformity was identified in connection with the training of response teams.

In addition, improvement points were identified in relation to unannounced drills, co-training of personnel in the emergency preparedness organisation, siting of firefighting equipment and siting of equipment cabinets for helicopter deck teams.

Snorre B

The Snorre B platform came on stream in June 2001. This semi-submersible PDQ floater lies about seven kilometers north of the A platform.

Oil from Snorre B is piped for 45 kilometres to Statfjord B for storage and export. Part of the gas is injected back into the reservoir, while the rest is transported by pipeline via Snorre A on to continental Europe through the Statpipe system and to St Fergus, Scotland through the Tampen link pipeline.

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