Blowout preventer (BOP) risk model to assist critical decisions in offshore drilling
Inge Alme A , Angel Casal A , Trygve Leinum A and Helge Flesland ALR Scandpower Norway
The APPEA Journal 53(1) 209-216 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ12018
Published: 2013
Abstract
The BOP is a critical safety system of an offshore drilling rig, as shown in the 2010 Macondo accident. A challenge for the oil and gas industry is to decide what to do when the BOP is failing. Pulling the BOP to the surface during operations for inspection and testing is a costly and timely operation. Many of the potential failures are not critical to overall safety as multiple levels of redundancy are often available.
Scandpower and Moduspec, both subsidiaries of Lloyd’s Register, have developed a BOP risk model that will assist the industry make the pull or no pull decisions. Scandpower’s proprietary software RiskSpectrum is used for the modelling. This software is used for equivalent decision support in the nuclear power industry, where the risk levels of total nuclear power plants are monitored live by operators in the control rooms.
By modelling existing BOPs and their submerged control systems, and using risk monitor software for keeping track on the status of the BOP subsystems and components, the industry is able to define the real-time operational risk level the BOP is operating at. It, therefore, allows the inclusion for sensitivity modelling with possible faulty components factored in the model. The main task of the risk model is to guide and support energy companies and regulators in the decision process when considering whether to pull the BOP for repairs. Moreover, it will help the communication with the regulators, since the basis for the decisions are more traceable and easier to follow for a third party.
Inge Alme is vice president business development at Scandpower, Lloyd’s Register’s risk management consultancy. He has a MSc degree in industrial economy and technology management from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. Inge started his Scandpower career in 1998, and has experience in most of the services offered by Scandpower. Inge’s extensive experience spans risk analyses, safety management and safety related studies, and he has also led audits and emergency preparedness analyses. He has carried out a large number of projects for international clients in several industry sectors including oil and gas, transportation, process industry, and power generation. Between 2002-2006 Inge was in charge of Scandpower’s activities in Sweden, and in 2010-2011 he became president of Scandpower Inc. in the US. Inge has also been technical director in the Scandpower Group. iaa@scandpower.com |
Angel Casal is a chemical engineer providing safety and risk consultancy services to primarily oil and gas, (petro)chemical, and mining clients. He has more than 12 years of experience in the energy industry and processes, and is the manager risk and principal consultant for LR Scandpower in Perth. Angel has extensive knowledge and experience in a wide range of process hazard and risk assessment techniques such as hazard identification/hazard and operability (HAZID/HAZOP), Dow fire and explosion index (DOW F&E), event tree and fault tree analysis, layers of protection analysis (LOPA)/BowTie, and quantitative risk assessment (QRA). He is a certified functional safety expert (IEC61511 Standard) in the field of process industry application. Angel’s versatile range of skills also include project management, production and development of technical procedures, and guidance and delivery of training courses. angel.casal@lr.org |
Trygve Leinum has a MSc in mechanical engineering from NTNU (1988). He joined Scandpower in 2011 as department manager/principal consultant at Scandpower’s Sunndalsora office in Norway. Trygve has 22 years of experience from Norsk Hydro’s businesses, both offshore and land based. His key qualifications are system engineering and integration, with production availability and safety integrity assessment as main fields. Trygve’s experience spans from operational management, engineering management and research in reliability and process safety. He was Norsk Hydro E&P’s representative in the first editions of NORSOK Technical Safety Standard, the OREDA steering committee, and the PDS-project. tle@scandpower.com |
Helge Flesland is general manager for LR Scandpower in Australia, and he is also a senior principal consultant. Helge has nearly 25 years of experience in matters related to HSE risk management, health, working environment, safety analysis, and quality and risk management for both onshore and offshore clients. In the past ten years he has held a high focus on large modification projects on platforms in the North Sea related to oil field life extensions; from early concept and front-end engineering design (FEED), to engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) and commissioning. Helge holds a Bachelor’s degree in petroleum technology and a Master of Management (MBA). Helge.Flesland@scandpower.com |
