Safety leadership and collaboration in the Queensland natural gas exploration and production industry
Walter Simpson A , Mark Greene B , Sean O’Donnell C , Michelle Zaunbrecher D , Warwick King E and Steve Ciccone FA Drillsearch.
B GD Group.
C Safer Together – Queensland Natural Gas Exploration & Production Industry Safety Forum.
D Arrow Energy.
E ConocoPhillips.
F Amec Foster Wheeler.
The APPEA Journal 56(2) 548-548 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ15054
Published: 2016
Abstract
The industry in Queensland operates within a common geographical area and uses similar technologies with common hazards and risks. In terms of safety, companies must be seen as one industry and not separate entities. As a result, collaboration on safety is a natural outcome, and in 2014 this led to the creation of the Queensland Natural Gas Exploration & Production Industry Safety Forum (known as Safer Together), an inclusive member-led organisation of a range of operating and contract partner companies.
Initial emphasis was on the set-up/organisation and getting early engagement. With more than 80 companies signed up as members in the first 12 months, Safer Together made a strong start.
The emphasis has now switched to delivery, and with all member companies feeling the strain of the industry downturn, working together has never been so crucial to ensure that safety is never compromised.
This extended abstract presents a case study of what Safer Together is learning about the fundamental prerequisites required to ensure long-term sustainability and the success of the forum.
Challenges discussed include:
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maintaining and increasing membership in tough times;
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ensuring senior leaders continue to be actively engaged, regardless of other business pressures;
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ensuring simple solutions don’t become too difficult to implement when rolled out to many different companies;
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avoiding initiative overload; and,
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demonstrating tangible value to member companies.
This is not an easy journey, and more challenges lie ahead. But the enormous safety benefits make it the right thing to do as an industry.
Walter Simpson is a petroleum engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry globally, having worked in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, India, South East Asia and Australia. He has MA (engineering) and MEng (petroleum engineering) degrees. |
Mark Greene has a wealth of experience in construction project management and specialist pipeline construction and through his companies, GD Engineering & Construction and GD Energy Services, offers multi-disciplinary capability and integrated energy services to the energy and resources sectors. |
Sean O'Donnell has worked internationally in the field of health, safety and environmental management for more than 20 years, across a wide range of industry sectors. He has an honours degree in earth sciences. |
Michelle Zaunbrecher has a geology degree and honours degree in petroleum geology and geophysics. She also has a Master of Environmental Science and Hydrogeology. Michelle has worked for more than 25 years in the resource sector, mostly in the oil and gas area. |
Warwick King began his career with ConocoPhillips in 1983, and has more than 30 years of engineering, production, development and project management experience in the oil and gas industry globally, having worked in the North Sea, Russia, Africa, South America and the US before moving to Australia in 2011 to assume his present position. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Imperial College of Science and Technology (London). Warwick is an original member of the Safer Together Safety Leaders Group and is presently Co-Chair (Operators). |
Steve Ciccone has 29 years of study, design, project management and sponsorship and operations management experience in the natural resources industry. In his capacity as Regional Director at Amec Foster Wheeler, Steve is responsible for all Amec Foster Wheeler activities across the mining and metals, oil and gas, clean energy and environment, and infrastructure markets in (eastern) Australia and New Zealand. Steve holds a BSc (civil engineering) from the University of British Columbia, and a MBA from the Simon Fraser University. Steve is an original member of the Safer Together Safety Leaders Group and is presently Co-Chair (Contract Partners). |
