"This
study represented a rare opportunity for engineers to
provide meaningful and objective information to policy
makers before a major policy is developed."
--Dr.
Andrew J. Wolford
EQE Offshore Risk Manager
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uantitative
risk assessments (QRA) and formal safety studies remain
essential |
to offshore
clients, especially to meet regulatory guidelines. In one very
critical study, the US Minerals Management Services (MMS) engaged
the Offshore Technology Research Center and EQE International
to conduct a risk analysis to compare the risks of FPSOs with
existing deepwater production systems currently operating in
the GOM. The existing deepwater production systems considered
in the study were TLPs, Spars, and fixed jacket platforms serving
as both production facilities and transportation hubs for deepwater
production. Risks were evaluated for each system over a 20-year
operational life, beginning at first oil and ending with production
shut-in. The risk analysis addressed personnel safety and environmental
pollution. |
Industry technical
expertise and experience were critical in utilizing limited historical
data to project future performance. In order to incorporate this
information into the risk analysis, teams of technical experts were
assembled for each study production system. Input from the technical
experts was obtained through a series of workshops facilitated by
EQE. "The study approach relied extensively upon industry expertise
provided by Deepstar participants," said Dr. Andrew J. Wolford,
EQE Offshore Risk Manager. "This process may well establish
a precedent for cooperative risk assessment addressing fundamental
regulatory issues pertaining to the US outer continental shelf.
The workshop process provides a forum for both operator and owner
to develop a common understanding and vocabulary of risk and jointly
focus on the highest risk issues."
The results
from this study will be used by the US government to develop a policy
concerning the use of FPSOs in the GOM. "This study represented
a rare opportunity for engineers to provide meaningful and objective
information to policy makers before a major policy is developed,"
according to Wolford.
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