The rig company Seadrill was established in 2005 and operates worldwide. As of today, one of its installations, West Elara, has a contract on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The jack-up rig is currently concluding a contract on the Ekofisk field for ConocoPhillips and will then proceed to an assignment involving the permanent plugging of production wells in the North Sea for TotalEnergies.
Around the third quarter of 2026, West Elara will move to Equinor, where it will be used as an accommodation rig until the fourth quarter of 2027.
OFFB on duty from May
OFFB will support Seadrill’s emergency preparedness efforts and serve as the company’s 2nd line response organisation for its Norwegian Continental Shelf operations starting 1 May 2026.
“For the past 16 years, through the operating companies, we have worked closely with a number of rig companies and know the business well. However, this is the first time we welcome a company that is not an operator into the emergency response collaboration,” says OFFB Managing Director Ole Jacob Haug.
Ole Jacob Haug. Foto: Jan Inge Haga
Look forward to a long and productive collaboration
“Working with Seadrill will enhance the competence across our entire organisation. At the same time, we bring experience, expertise, and resources that will strengthen their work within emergency response and crisis management. We look forward to a long and productive collaboration with Seadrill”, Haug adds.
Per Breivik, Director of Operations at Seadrill Europe Management AS, states that the company looks forward to establishing a solid emergency response partnership with OFFB and working together on continuous improvement of emergency preparedness efforts.
With equity stakes in around 50 % of all producing assets on the NCS, we are the 3rd largest oil and gas producer and one of the largest exporter of gas to Europe from Norway.
Vår Energi produces 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and holds interests in 190 licenses and 42 fields in operation. As an operator, the company is responsible for operating the fields Gjøa, Duva, Balder and Ringhorne in the North Sea, Fenja in the Norwegian Sea, and Goliat in the Barents Sea.
In addition, Vår Energi is continuously carrying out a number of exploration and drilling operations from rigs located across the entire Norwegian continental shelf.
“Vår Energi is a large and important company with knowledge and experience that will make a strong contribution to the standardisation and further development of emergency preparedness cooperation, both within OFFB and on the Norwegian continental shelf,” says Ole Jacob Haug, Managing Director of OFFB.
“At the same time, OFFB has resources and expertise that will help strengthen Vår Energi in its incident management capabilities. We look forward to a long and successful collaboration,” Haug adds.
Ole Jacob Haug, Managing Director of OFFB. Photo: Jan Inge Haga/OFFB
Vår Energi will retain its own 2nd line emergency response organisation, but will now have OFFB as an important partner across a wide range of emergency response services – including training and exercises, courses, a call center for next of kin, crisis communications, and the Operator’s Centre for Evacuees and Next of Kin (OSEP).
“The new agreement means that we now have standing emergency response at all our OSEP locations throughout the year. This will benefit all our members,” says Haug.
About OFFB:
The Operator’s Association for Emergency Response (OFFB) is a user-driven, non-profit emergency response organisation operated by the companies A/S Norske Shell, Aker BP, DNO, Gassco, Harbour Energy, OKEA, Wellesley Petroleum, and now also Vår Energi.
Since its establishment in 2009, the OFFB Emergency Response Centre has provided professional 2nd line emergency response and support for strategic emergency management to its member companies and is an integrated part of their emergency response systems. In addition, OFFB serves as a resource and competence centre for all members.
Felles situasjonsforståelse: Beredskapshåndtering krever et godt samspill, både mellom 1., 2. og 3. linje, og internt i beredskapslaget. Fra venstre: Informasjonskoordinator Ruben Hakin, personellkoordinator Marianne Hagen, stabsleder Yrjan Bamberg og logistikkoordinator Pål Skeggs.
Yrjan Bamberg successfully completed his check-out exercise on April 29, 2025, earning a "pass" and officially joining the duty rotation as one of six 2nd-line Chiefs of Staff.
Bamberg began his role at OFFB on January 2, 2025, having previously served as a Project Manager at Canon Norway. Prior to that, he held various positions at Avarn Security Norway and Securitas Norway, and spent over six years in the Armed Forces, where he served as a sergeant in the electronic warfare division.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in digital forensics and, in addition to his role as Chief of Staff in the 2nd line, serves as OFFB’s Subject Matter Expert for ICT and Cyber Security. This responsibility also includes acting as a resource for OFFB’s member companies in these areas.
Comprehensive Training Programme
“All newly appointed Chiefs of Staff and Emergency Response Managers at OFFB undergo a thorough training programme. This includes an in-depth introduction to our operational plans, familiarization with the operators we support, current operations, and our systems — including CIM and best practices for incident management,” says Trond Gleditsch, Head of Training and Exercises at OFFB.
Close Coordination: As a 2nd line Chief of Staff, Yrjan Bamberg is primarily responsible for liaising with the 1st line. The 1st line is often located offshore, and maintaining clear communication is essential. Emergency Response Manager Trond Gleditsch (left) holds overall responsibility for 2nd line operations and liaises with the strategic level in the 3rd line.
The training programme includes several functional training sessions, during which Bamberg completed the tasks outlined in various best practices.
He then participated in five exercises, initially shadowing experienced Chiefs of Staff to observe how they carried out their responsibilities. Afterward, the roles were reversed — Bamberg took the lead role, while the seasoned Chiefs of Staff acted as observers and mentors.
The final exam exercise was conducted with a full 2nd line duty team and a reinforced acting staff, including an experienced platform manager who presented Bamberg with a realistic incident scenario to manage.
No Shortcuts Taken
Throughout the entire exercise, Bamberg was closely observed and assessed by Head of Planning and Emergency Response, Ann Christin Auestad, and Managing Director Ole Jacob Haug.
A passing result is never guaranteed. If any aspect falls short, further training is required. In the emergency response room, the mission is to protect life and health, the environment, and significant material assets. That’s why we take no shortcuts and never compromise on quality or safety.
Authority Coordinator Ann Elin Solbu is responsible for maintaining communication with relevant authorities such as the police and the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority during an incident. She receives regular updates from the Chief of Staff to ensure that the flow of information remains consistent and timely.
Emergency Preparedness Is a Discipline That Requires Maturity
“This time, the training period lasted a little over four months. We could have completed it in a shorter time. However, emergency response is a discipline that requires maturity. It’s important to allow enough time for reflection and to truly internalize what’s being learned,” says Gleditsch.
Bamberg agrees.
“Oil and gas is a completely new field for me, and there’s a lot to get familiar with — including a very specific terminology. I find it incredibly engaging.”
“In addition to the skilled colleagues I work with every day here at OFFB, I really value the dialogue with the offshore installation managers on the installations we’re actually on call for. The combination of training, exercises, education, and ongoing dialogue gives me a strong sense of readiness for managing real incidents when the duty phone rings,” says Yrjan.
Beredskapskonferansen er et samarbeid mellom Havindustritilsynet, Operatørenes forening for beredskap (OFFB), Offshore Norge, fagforbundet Styrke og Kystverket.
Siden oppstarten har konferansen vært Norges viktigste arena for erfaringsutveksling og samarbeid om beredskapsspørsmål for alle partene i arbeidslivet – inkludert myndigheter, arbeidstakere og arbeidsgivere i offentlige og private virksomheter, fagorganisasjoner, politi, forsvar og akademia.
Bakteppet for årets Beredskapskonferanse er den alvorlige sikkerhetspolitiske situasjonen i Europa og Norges rolle som en sikker energileverandør, forteller Erling Holmefjord i Styrke, som sammen med daglig leder i OFFB, Ole Jacob Haug, leder programkomiteen til konferansen.
Konferansen sparkes i gang med beredskapsdebatt arrangert av Proactima tirsdag 13. mai klokken 19, og fortsetter med én og en halv dags program onsdag 14. og torsdag 15. mai. Hovedtemaene er Totalforsvaret, beredskap og kapasiteter i det maritime domenet og økt aktivitet i nord.
– Vi er svært fornøyde med å ha fått med oss sterke beredskaps- og sikkerhetseksperter fra en rekke av de ledende olje- og gasselskapene, Statsforvalteren i Rogaland, Havindustritilsynet, Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap (DSB), Kystverket, Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste (PST), akademia og næringslivet som foredragsholdere, sier Holmefjord.
– Vi har også med oss en rekke utstillere og sponsorer som gjør det mulig å skape denne viktige møteplassen, fortsetter han.
Parallelt med Beredskapskonferansen gjennomføres Informasjonssikkerhetskonferansen, som er en årlig nasjonal for ledere og brukere av digitale sikkerhetssystemer, kommunikasjonsverktøy og automatiseringsløsninger fra alle deler av næringslivet.
– I år er det et spesielt fokus på beskyttelse av industrisystemer, it-trusler og kunstig intelligens, sier Holmefjord.
Fjorårets konferanser samlet 300 personer på Clarion Hotel Air på Sola. Den sikkerhetspolitiske situasjonen gjør at beredskap er i vinden som aldri før og det foregår mange konferanser og samlinger på alle nivå – over hele landet.
Holmefjord og Haug er likevel ikke i tvil om at Beredskapskonferansen og Informasjonssikkerhetskonferansen fyller en viktig rolle:
– Konferansene og den unike møteplassen er viktigere enn noen gang, sier Ole Jacob Haug.
Emergency preparedness work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf is based on a proactive approach and a well-established division of responsibilities between the tactical level in the first line, the operational level in the second line, and the strategic level in the third line.
This structure ensures effective handling of all emergency situations, from unwanted incidents such as personal injuries and vessels on a collision course to more prolonged events like oil spills.
However, when incidents grow in scale and duration, it becomes necessary to transition management and planning to a project organization tailored to the specific situation.
Common System, Shared Resource Pool
Oil spill response operations fall into this category. Operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf already collaborate closely through NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies) and recognize the great value of supporting each other with personnel and expertise – both domestically and internationally.
Chief of Staff Thea Blume, Chief of Staff Yrjan Bamberg and Emergency Response Manager Magnus Klem Husebye.
For this reason, operators have agreed on a shared management system for handling oil spill response operations, known as the Incident Command System (ICS). Each company has also committed to providing a number of trained specialists who can be made available to support one another in case of an emergency.
OFFB has contingency plans that ensure a smooth transition from a line organization to ICS and regularly conducts courses through its Competence Center.
Training Necessary to Maintain Competence
The methodology is also tested in major exercises, such as Exercise Draugen with OKEA and Exercise Tveegg with Aker BP. However, experience shows that these types of exercises require significant effort to prepare and execute. OFFB recognizes the need to establish a new training program.
Read also: OFFB prepares ICS training https://offb.no/en/ics-trening-fra-juni/ Exercise Draugen
Trond Gleditsch, Head of Training and Exercises at OFFB.
Therefore, we are now preparing ICS training for personnel who have completed the ICS 100, ICS 200, and ICS 300 courses and need to maintain their competence.
The training sessions will span three days and include theoretical refreshers and role-specific training within the organization’s planning cycle – under expert guidance from trained emergency response personnel in OFFB’s organization.
- The training sessions are open to all OFFB members. The first session will take place from June 17–19, with additional sessions scheduled for September and November 2025, says Trond Gleditsch, Head of Training and Exercises at OFFB.
Som et resultat av oppkjøpet av Wintershall Deas portefølje i 2024, er Harbour Energy en av de største olje- og gassprodusentene på norsk sokkel. Vår virksomhet i Norge står for over en tredjedel av vår daglige produksjon, og utgjør den største delen av vår portefølje.
Exercise Draugen was based on an imagined scenario, in which the operating company OKEA lost control of a wildcat well on the Draugen field on Haltenbanken, and had to handle a blowout of 35,000 litres of oil per day.
The drill was carried out as a cooperation exercise between NOFO, OKEA and OFFB. Their common objective was to practice collaboration and communication within and between various preparedness levels in handling a long-term incident.
During the exercise, the simulated oil spill drifted northwards with the coastal current, and reached the shores of Ofoten, the south of Troms, Lofoten, Vesterålen, Salten and Rana, among other areas.
Oil spills from the Draugen field are unlikely to hit these shores. They were selected for enabling the inter-municipal committees against acute pollution (IUA) to practice on such incidents in these locations.
Personnel from several other oil companies also participated in the action management, together with key actors such as the Norwegian Coastal Administration and county governors – in addition to a number of vessels, aircrafts, drones and subcontractors.
The entire oil recovery operation was managed in accordance with the Incident Command System (ICS).
More information about Exercise Draugen and the way oil spills are handled on the Norwegian continental shelf, can be found here:
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