Layer | Fill | Outline |
---|
Map layers
Theme | Visible | Selectable | Appearance | Zoom Range (now: 0) |
---|
Fill | Stroke |
---|---|
Collaborating Authors
Results
Abstract The successful start up of a rig is key to the ongoing success of a drilling contract for both operator and contractor alike. Good performance can only be achieved through competent, highly motivated and safety conscious people. Therefore, getting the HR, HSEQ & Training elements correct at the outset cannot be left to chance and good fortune but must be the result of integrated cross functional planning amongst a number of key stakeholders. One drilling contractor had gained experience starting several major projects across the world in recent years and had developed a methodology for the ideal rig start up using a cross functional project approach. As part of its strategic growth plans, in 2007 it was going to start-up in excess of 20 very diverse rig operations over the twelve month period. Achieving success in growth of this size, speed & variety could not be left to chance but had to be as a result of good planning. This paper will discuss how that organisation took the lessons it learned in the past and applied them in a structured manner via its Corporate HSE plan to ensure each and every start up was Safe, Effective & Trouble free. The paper analyses the successes and failures of various start ups across the organisation and demonstrates that the more involvement HR, HSEQ & Training had in the early stages the more successful the overall start up was. This was particularly true when involvement formed part of a structured and integrated plan in conjunction with all stakeholders including clients. Given the projected volume of new work across the industry over the coming years, along with the recognised shortages of experienced personnel available, this fully integrated approach to starting up new operations is highly significant in today's drilling industry. Introduction The drilling contractor had utilized project management techniques in a number of major platform rig start ups. In 2007 the contractor was faced with a significant number of land rig, platform rig and MODU start-ups, coupled with shortages in experienced personnel in the drilling industry. In anticipation of these challenges, in December 2006 the contractor committed to pre-empting any potential risk exposure it might face through problem start-ups by making a formal requirement in its annual HSE Plan for Country Managers to prepare integrated plans for all start-ups. An extract from the contractor's 2007 HSE Plan is shown in Figure 1. While the requirement was for "an integrated plan" it involves a number of very different disciplines. The way to ensure success is to ensure that the activities of these disciplines are co-ordinated around one another to bring about the possible synergies between them. This involves both the sequential and concurrent scheduling of activities and also the identification of those sets of activities which are iterative in nature requiring feedback loops between two or more different disciplines. This paper has been written to outline the nature of HR, HSEQ and Training activities which are required for a successful start-up, and also to identify the nature of some of the information flows and feedback loops between disciplines.
Abstract Almost without exception new build offshore drilling rigs these days are mechanized or sequenced to some degree. This is particularly the case on new build offshore platforms regardless of where in the world they are to operate. For new and remote regions simulator and vendor equipment training along with a high degree of cultural awareness and basic minimum standards training are therefore critical elements in the pre-operational phase of any new build offshore platform project. Historically equipment training is not included in the tender process for new build rigs and consequently has to be worked out after the event, usually by the first drilling contractor to operate the equipment. This can work out well when the drilling contractor has experience of simulators and understands the range of possible solutions. Key to success in such projects is flexibility. Flexibility in choice of simulator solutions. Flexibility when scheduling personnel on training. Flexibility in how the cultural aspect is tackled. Flexibility in ensuring how basic minimum standards are attained. Flexibility from training providers to adapt to local conditions. This paper reviews how one drilling contractor approached crew training for three new build offshore cyber rig projects in three different areas of the world. Introduction It has long been recognized that when crewing up for state-of-the-art, fully mechanized drilling rigs you cannot simply take experienced personnel from conventional rigs and expect them to be able to "do the business". It has been many years since drilling contractors and/or training managers have had to justify in financial terms why there was a need to spend good money training those who were to operate multi million dollar investments in equipment. To simply state that it's like moving from a "compact motor car to an executive saloon" just does not stand. The shift can be as great as moving from a bicycle to the space shuttle! Initial thinking was that this training could be done on the job using vendor specialists to conduct the training while drilling the first well and with no pressure on performance. Early experience from a client owned/contractor operated offshore platform in the UK sector of the North Sea showed that this route did not deliver the performance hoped for1. Far from achieving a round trip rate of 27–30 stands per hour, tripping speeds averaged less than 11 stands per hour. Even more alarming was an incident where a pipe sensor roller fell some 90ft to the rig floor following a collision between the top drive and upper star racker. No one was injured in the incident but on investigation it was found the operator had unknowingly gone into manual override and that there were deficiencies in crew training. An Improvement Team was put in place which recommended, amongst a number of other actions, the need for in depth crew training which must include an understanding of the systems in addition to an ability to operate the equipment. The change in performance resulted in a round trip rate of 40 stands per hour. Lessons learned and recommended for future projects included:Comprehensive crew training preferably utilizing a dedicated simulator prior to commissioning Training to cover maintenance aspects of the equipment Crew involvement in the onshore commissioning This approach has now been taken as standard for offshore platform cyber rig start ups in mature areas of the oilfield and also for owner operated mobile offshore drilling units regardless of area of operations. The story changes somewhat when you have a client owned/contractor operated offshore platform in a new and challenging oilfield location such as Azerbaijan, Angola or Sakhalin Island.
- Europe > United Kingdom (1.00)
- North America > United States (0.88)
- Asia > Russia > Far Eastern Federal District > Sakhalin Oblast (0.25)
- Asia > Russia > Far Eastern Federal District > Sakhalin Island > Sea of Okhotsk (0.25)