Thursday 21 June 2018

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is now starting a detailed review to look at challenges and improvement measures involved in field developments on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

Most such projects on the NCS are implemented within the time and cost frameworks provided by the plan for development and operation (PDO). Some of them have nevertheless faced big challenges with costs and delays during the construction phase as well as with quality and health, safety and the environment (HSE) during start-up and operation.

Learning and improvement

Goliat in the Barents Sea is one of the projects to be reviewed in the new PSA study, but the work will also address one or two other field developments in recent years. No decision has yet been taken on what this/these will be.

The study will lead to a report to be used for learning and improvement by both the industry and the government.

In addition to challenges and improvement measures, this report will also describe experience with aspects which have functioned well.

All phases

The work will cover the relevant operator companies, licensees in the production licence and the role of government agencies.

In addition, it will address all phases from licence award, through the exploration phase, feasibility studies, the concept stage, preparation and approval of the PDO, engineering design, construction and commissioning, to start-up and operation up to the present day.

Being conducted by an external consultant, the study is due to be completed in the summer of 2019.