Deferred maintenance – a major industry challenge?
Kylie Seccombe A and Derrick O’Keeffe A BA National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, 58 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: Derrick.O’Keeffe@nopsema.gov.au
The APPEA Journal 61(2) 463-465 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20049
Accepted: 25 February 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
This paper identifies key areas of concern regarding the use of deferral as a maintenance management tool. As the national regulator for offshore petroleum operations and greenhouse gas storage activities, National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is uniquely positioned to observe the various processes and tools applied by industry in the management of maintenance for offshore facilities, including impacts on safety and the environment, while acknowledging the need for business sustainability. This Extended Abstract provides a regulator’s perspective on the use of ‘maintenance deferral’ by industry as a tool for balancing competing priorities, while ensuring the risks to people and the environment are reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. It highlights the pitfalls of maintenance deferral that may negatively influence safety and environmental performance over the life of a facility (from construction through to decommissioning) as well as on the business’ bottom line. Learnings identified from non-compliances, improvement recommendations and incidents to promote efficient and effective learning are shared to further enhance existing good practices across the industry.
Keywords: deferred maintenance, deferral, offshore performance, industry downturn, backlog, inspection.
Kylie Seccombe is an OHS Regulatory Specialist for National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) based in the Melbourne office. Prior to joining NOPSEMA, Kylie spent almost 18 years in the oil and gas industry as an engineer working in onshore and offshore operations and with brownfield/greenfield projects, process safety initiatives, as a senior risk adviser, and maintenance team lead for offshore maintenance shutdowns. Her current role involves conducting assessments of permissioning documents and inspections of facilities regulated under the Offshore Petroleum Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and the associated regulations. |
Derrick O’Keeffe is the Head of Safety and Integrity for National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), Australia’s independent offshore regulator. He holds a BSc (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering and an MBA. He has 37 years of engineering, commercial, management and Director experience in oil and gas in Australia, Iran, UAE, Bangladesh, Africa, USA and the UK. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, life member and past President of the Petroleum Club of Western Australia, where he contributes to short courses on petroleum. He is a regular witness at Australian government parliamentary senate hearings and inquiries. |
