Page 354 - Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language

Chapter 14 – SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 345

There are sometimes alternative courses of action that can reduce
the environmental impact of an operation. BP drilled record-breaking
horizontal wells to exploit a reservoir offshore by drilling from land on
the south coast of England. These wells had thousands of feet of horizontal
wellbore successfully drilled from a land rig, which avoided using an

offshore rig or creating artificial islands (which was one of the alternatives

studied when the field was discovered). Much attention was paid to the
environmental impact of the various alternatives, and the result was a

successful exploitation of the field without upsetting anybody.

Severe Weather—Suspension of Operations

Severe weather can create significant danger for rig crews. In areas
prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, such as the Gulf of Mexico at certain
times of the year, close attention is paid to the possible courses that such
storms might take. When it becomes possible for a rig to be hit by one of
these storms, the well is secured and the rig abandoned.
In other areas, other problems might prevail, such as sandstorms. The
judgment of the drilling supervisor must be used to ensure that operations
are suspended before weather conditions get so dangerous that the

likelihood of an incident increases significantly.

Summary

Safety management is as important as managing any other aspect of
the operation. Every responsible manager and supervisor in this industry
wishes to see everyone return home safely to their families at the end of their
time on the rig. Most companies have very clear policies and statements
that ensure that everybody concerned knows that unsafe practices will not
be tolerated.
This chapter set out many of the safety concerns that result from
operating drilling rigs. Equipment, training, practices, and procedures are
used to reduce risk to a level that is as low as reasonably practical.
There is no longer room in this industry for anybody who does not take
safety and environmental protection seriously.

_Devereux_Book.indb 345 1/16/12 2:13 PM