From 6 to 11 November 2017, we carried out an audit of drilling, emergency preparedness and the working environment at the Gullfaks C facility on the Gullfaks field in the northern sector of the North Sea.

Objecte

The object of the audit was to verify safe operations in late life, including the technical condition of the drilling facilities and well control equipment at Gullfaks C, as well as to review manning, competence and compatibility of tasks in emergency preparedness, including training and exercises.

During the audit, we focused on established processes to ensure that assumptions, prerequisites, limitations and recommendations in the emergency preparedness analysis for Gullfaks C were catered for and that these were communicated out to the emergency preparedness organisation, so that the operator, in a period of late-life operations, is maintaining a robust and competent emergency preparedness organisation.

We also wanted to evaluate whether Statoil's management of Gullfaks C met regulatory requirements within the working environment area, and whether the facility is designed so as to ensure that workers are not exposed to working environment factors that exceed the levels specified in the regulations and referenced standards.

In this context, we wanted to monitor that Statoil is working systematically to prevent major accidents.

Result

Three non-conformities were identified during the audit. These included health risks associated with chemicals, risks of noise-related hearing damage and deficient identification and maintenance of well-control equipment.

Four improvement points were also identified. These included an improved system for follow-up after training, a lack of over-pressure in rooms in the drilling module, uncertainty linked to corrosion of vital and/or safety-critical systems and genuine employee participation.

We have asked Statoil to report by 19 March 2018 on how the non-conformities will be addressed, and for an assessment of the improvement points identified.