Samtlige kursdeltagere måtte ut på gulvet for praktisk trening. Her instruerer Kim Sviland daglig leder Ole Jacob Haug.
“If you find yourself in a situation that requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the most crucial thing is to do something, as every second counts. However, you have a clear advantage if you have received some training in advance. Getting familiar with how a defibrillator works is also a definite advantage,” says Kim Åke Sviland.
In addition to being a chief of staff at OFFB, he has several years of experience as a nurse, as well as a long history with voluntary search and rescue services. Kim reminds us of the importance of those standing near to immediately initiate life-saving first aid. That way, we can together strengthen the chance of surviving acute illness and injury.
A significant investment
Precisely because emergency preparedness is our main focus at OFFB, we must practice what we preach. All full-time employees have now completed a three-hour course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation with the use of a defibrillator.
The DHLR-course consists of theory and practical training. All attendees were trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“It was important for us to prioritise this; both to be better prepared for incidents at the companies we are on duty to provide emergency services to, and to support the government's strategy of enabling the population to better help themselves and others in cases of acute illness and injury,” says Ole Jacob Haug, managing director of OFFB.
During the course, we practiced emergency call notification, examination of an ill or injured person, securing open airways and stable recovery position, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), the use of a defibrillator, what to do if a foreign object is lodged in a person’s airways, and how to detect signs of acute heart disease.
All course participants had to get on the floor and do practical exercises. And now we are all familiar with the defibrillator in our office building here at Koppholen.
It is recommended to refresh DHLR courses at least every two years. The course is offered by organisations such as the Red Cross.
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:
An explosion occurred during the pouring of nitrogen from bottles to hydraulic accumulators on the Heimdal field, and two people were seriously injured. The Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) concluded in its investigation report that "with insignificant changes in circumstances, the incident had the potential for a fatal accident".
Several mitigating measures have since been implemented by Equinor, and the entire industry has learned from the incident. This spring, when Neptune Energy was training its six emergency preparedness teams together with OFFB, the Heimdal incident was chosen as the case scenario – and the Gjøa facility as the training object.
Preferred practice method
Using a real-life event gives a more serious backdrop to the exercise, and enhances meaning and learning outcomes. Several participants have since stated that they prefer this manner of training.
“Those of us involved in exercise planning at OFFB, are eager to form a good cooperation with the people we train with. It is important for us to be able to distinguish between what works and what can be done better. The exercises should feel useful to everyone involved. It's especially rewarding when we hit the mark with both the scenario and the execution,” says Pål Erland, emergency response manager and responsible exercise leader at OFFB.
Erland has been involved in the planning and execution of exercises at OFFB since 2010. Before that, he had a long career in the police.
Planning provided valuable information and learning
To create the most realistic scenario possible, documentation from Equinor and the Petroleum Safety Authority's (PSA) investigation report from the Heimdal incident were used in planning the exercise. In addition, the exercise management received valuable information from Equinor's 2nd line emergency response manager, who handled the incident in 2019. To maximize the learning outcome, the exercise was based on a "worst case" scenario.
All teams trained on the same scenario
By basing all exercises on the same scenario, all on-call duty teams in Neptune Energy's 2nd and 3rd line were given a common foundation for handling the incident. Real-life mobilization was carried out in the 2nd and 3rd line. In addition, all first notifications from the 2nd line were transmitted to all relevant collaborators. These included the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (South), the local police, PSA, contractors, on-duty doctor, emergency doctor, head of the Operator's Centre for Evacuees and Next of kin (OSEP), as well as head of the next of kin call centre and the Clinic for Crisis Psychology.
Neptune Energy's on-duty personnel at the logistics base in Florø also took part in all executions. In addition, the operator's emergency doctor provided valuable support to the 2nd line’s handling of the exercise.
“It was essential for all teams to handle the same scenario and practice on the same incident. It was also important to involve as many real-life actors as possible. We received valuable contributions, including from the platform manager on Gjøa,” says Erland.
The seminar at OFFB following the exercises was an important part of the learning process. Foto: Alf Inge Molde
After the exercises, Neptune Energy held a learning and evaluation seminar at OFFB, to which all participants were invited. Here, the emergency response manager from Equinor's 2nd line, Geir Helge Johnsen, shared Equinor's and his own personal experiences from the Heimdal incident.
“Learning outcomes are important to OFFB and those we train with. The evaluation process is therefore central. After the Neptune exercises, the evaluation seminar together with Equinor was helpful and instructive. Johnsen’s presentation was greatly appreciated, both by the participants and the exercise management,” says Erland.
Bakerst fra høyre: Revisjonsleder John Arild Gundersen, Aker BP, Ole Morgen Løge, Offshore Qualific, Rune Meinich-Bache, Vår Energi, Maj Brit Fjermestad, Equinor, Øyvind Solberg, Equinor, Thea Blume, OFFB og Stein Atle Puntervoll, ConocoPhillips. Foto: Qualific
The petroleum regulations state that all operators on the Norwegian continental shelf are obliged to ensure that the helicopter suppliers follow current regulations. This means that they must comply with national regulations, applicable standards, Offshore Norway's industry guidelines, as well as the operators' own contract requirements.
The operator companies have developed a joint framework and are collaborating on a joint audit of the suppliers who offer helicopter services on the Norwegian continental shelf. Offshore Qualific – a subsidiary owned by the industry organization Offshore Norway – is responsible for coordinating the work between the operators
Several companies representated in the team
Recently, the annual joint audit of CHC Helikopter Service AS was carried out. A team consisting of representatives from the operating companies Aker BP, Equinor, Vår Energi and ConocoPhillips held the official responsibility, with a large number of people involved in addition to the ones mentioned.
OFFB is thus represented in the audit team by Thea Blume. Blume is a former helicopter pilot, and is naturally our resource in aviation, in addition to her roles as chief of staff and operator contact.
- It was very good to see how well the audit team works together towards a common goal of maintaining the good routines for security, says Blume.
The annual audit is a comprehensive program that covers all disciplines within helicopter operations. The CHC audit covers the head office at Sola and the bases in Kristiansund and Brønnøysund.
Pictured, back from right: Audit manager John Arild Gundersen (Aker BP), Ole Morgen Løge (Offshore Qualific), Rune Meinich-Bache (Vår Energi), Maj Brit Fjermestad (Equinor), Øyvind Solberg (Equinor), Thea Blume (OFFB) and Stein Atle Puntervoll (ConocoPhillips). Photo: Offshore Qualific
Energistafetten henter inspirasjon fra Holmenkollstafetten og stemningen i Tour de France, og ble i år arrangert for første gang av Bedriftsidretten i Rogaland, sammen med en rekke frivillige fra organisasjonens støttespillere.
OFFB ble utfordret til å stille av medlemsselskapet Aker BP like etter påske, og tokt utfordringen på strak arm. Arrangementet fikk full uttelling med knallvær og fulltegnet deltakerliste.
– Vi er imponert over hva arrangørene har fått til. De lyktes på alle områder. God informasjon, god logistikk, masse folk og enormt god stemning. Det var rett og slett veldig kjekt, skryter Brigt Nesheim.
Hvert lag skulle løpe ti etapper. OFFB stilte med åtte stykker; Thea Blume, Magnus Klem Husebye, Brigt Nesheim, Marlén Jünge, Jone Nevøy, Otto Galta, Ole Jacob Haug og Therese Hansen. Otto Galta meldte seg til å ta tre etapper på rappen.
Det slo egentlig bare positivt ut på sluttresultatet – cirka midt på treet totalt sett.
Det viktigste var imidlertid å delta, presiserer Nesheim.
– Det kjekkeste var å møte hverandre og skape en god sosial arena utenfor kontoret, treffe kjentfolk fra medlemsselskapene i OFFB, samarbeidspartnerne våre og heie hverandre fram. Nå håper vi at flere har lyst til å henge seg på neste år, sier han.
“It is actually quite unique for operating companies to meet in this way and to share knowledge between each other – about what has worked well and what hasn’t. There is plenty of room for openness and honesty,” says Dag Normann Aasjord, the forum’s secretary.
Aasjord has held this position since 2012, and he is also a second line on-duty emergency response manager and head of OFFB’s competence centre. The forum’s leadership circulates among its members.
The forum’s purpose is to provide an arena for exchanging knowledge and expertise within the field of emergency preparedness and response for OFFB’s members. It is also an advisory body to the emergency response organisation’s managing director.
Topics ranging from plan development, training and exercise, courses and expertise, to the handling of actual incidents, organising emergency response tasks, and the standardisation of solutions to common problems, are being discussed within the forum.
Dag Normann Aasjord
Learning beyond and across At the 50th meeting, Gassco, Wintershall Dea, DNO, Shell, OKEA, Sval Energi, Aker BP, Wellesley and Neptune Energy were represented, together with several members of OFFB’s staff.
In addition to an update on OFFB’s operations and work in progress, the technical forum got a review of how one of OFFB’s members handled an incident last winter which triggered mobilisation. The expectations and challenges related to a collaboration agreement within the industry on how to handle major oil spills were also presented and discussed.
The latter resulted in a separate working group now being established to ensure a common approach among OFFB's members.
“Working groups have already been established in several other areas, including human resources, communication, CIM and now also action management,” says Aasjord.
Different, but with common challenges There is no hiding the fact that the operators constituting the emergency response collaboration are different, both in terms of size, ownership, culture, activity and organisation.
“Nevertheless, there are many common features, and everyone has something to learn from each other, whether we are big or small. There is no requirement that we should all be the same,” Aasjord clarifies.
Kåre Olav Oftedal, HSE advisor at Gassco, has been a member of the technical forum since 2016 and its leader since 2021. He believes it is important to meet the other operators on a regular basis.
“This year, it has been exciting to get Aker BP in as a new member of OFFB and in the technical forum, and there are always current issues to discuss with each other. It is useful to bring the professionals of OFFB and the members together,” says Oftedal.
Ole Jacob Haug
Further development
Managing director of OFFB, Ole Jacob Haug, praises the effort that has been put into the technical forum since its inception in 2010.
“The advice and feedback from our members have been, and are, very useful in ensuring that the administration develops its emergency preparedness and response in a way that works well for all members, regardless of size and activity,” says Haug.
Fra venstre: Harald Kvernstrøm (Aker BP), Marlén Jünge (OFFB), Knut Øystein Sørmo (Aker BP), Ole Jacob Haug (OFFB), Leif Gunnar Hestholm (Aker BP) og Pål Erland (OFFB).
“During the fall of 2022, we started a tendering process among suppliers of emergency services to Aker BP. We were looking for a contractor which was able to offer high-quality emergency response expertise, had extensive experience, a robust organisation and a close collaborative relationship with other operators and emergency entities,” says Marit Blaasmo, senior vice president for people & safety at Aker BP.
“Aker BP places high demands on its emergency response organisation, and we expect a new partner to further strengthen and develop our emergency preparedness system. We chose the Operator’s Association for Emergency Response (OFFB), a membership-based organisation which – including Aker BP – now comprises nine operators. We are looking forward to a good and close collaboration,” Blaasmo says.
Aker BP is engaged in exploration and production of oil and gas on the NCS. Measured in terms of production, it is one of the largest independent listed oil companies in Europe. The company is the operator of six Norwegian field centres: Alvheim, Ivar Aasen, Skarv, Edvard Grieg, Ula and Valhall, and has a license share in the Johan Sverdrup field. It has extensive plans for growth.
Together with its partners, Aker BP submitted a total of ten plans for development and operation (PDO), and one plan for installation and operation (PIO) to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) in December 2022. These plans amount to a total investment of more than NOK 200 billion. The development projects, together with a range of initiatives to increase production and efficiency, lead Aker BP to expect its production to grow from today’s 400,000 barrels per day to around 525,000 barrels in 2028.
Aker BP’s head quarter is located at Fornebu outside Oslo. The company also has offices in Stavanger, Trondheim, Harstad and Sandnessjøen.
“We greatly appreciate having a new, big member on board the OFFB. This as a unique opportunity to further develop our emergency response collaboration, for our members, Aker BP and the NCS,” says Ole Jacob Haug.
The OFFB is a member-led emergency response organisation, run by A/S Norske Shell, DNO, Gassco, Neptune Energy Norge, OKEA, Sval Energi, Wellesley Petroleum, Wintershall Dea, and now, Aker BP.
Since its beginning in 2009, OFFB has provided professional 2nd line emergency response services and support to our member companies’ strategic emergency response management, and forms an integral part of their emergency response systems. OFFB also acts as a resource and expertise centre to all its members.
Caption, from left: Harald Kvernstrøm (Aker BP), Marlén Jünge (OFFB), Knut Øystein Sørmo (Aker BP), Ole Jacob Haug (OFFB), Leif Gunnar Hestholm (Aker BP) and Pål Erland (OFFB).
Jakob Inge Kristoffersen has worked as a psychologist for more than 40 years. He possesses decades of experience from major accidents and disasters, and the training and follow-up of emergency personnel, both in Norway and abroad.
On Wednesday the 30th of November, the specialist from Clinic for crisis psychology in Bergen, of which OFFB has had a collaboration agreement for a number of years, shared his expertise with the participants gathered at the Competence Centre.
Kristoffersen talked about incidents which have stuck in the collective memory of the Norwegian people over the recent decades. When asked about the emotional reactions among emergency personnel, he admitted that tears may flow, even on his cheeks, when faced with people who have been exposed to the worst horrors imaginable.
“I have never been criticised for this. So I suppose it is OK, even for less experienced personnel, to react emotionally. But if one manages to stay focused on the tasks at hand, it helps keep the impact of the tragedies at bay,” Kristoffersen says.
Facts, not feelings A gathering of 50 people with various emergency management tasks within OFFB and the oil and gas companies were introduced to how they should prepare for the handling of critical incidents, acute and long-lasting stress reactions, management and follow-up, principles for psychological first aid, taking care of those affected and their next of kin, psychological preparedness planning, lessons learned at the centres for evacuees and next of kin, consequences for the company and its employees, and how to be prepared – on an individual level and as a team and a company.
Many are afraid of making mistakes when interacting with those affected and their next of kin. But the worst thing one can do is to do nothing. In general, people rarely do anything that is totally wrong, Kristoffersen reassures.
During the initial stages after a critical incident, it is vital that the survivors and those affected are looked after – for instance at a reception centre or a centre for evacuees and next of kin – where they can feel safe, and are allowed to wind down and thus reduce the stress.
To reduce stress immediately after an incident is essential. The professional term for this is activation.
“Good and factual information is more important than talking about feelings. One should delay the verbal expression of thoughts and emotions. It is much better to ask about what happened, and what the person has done,” he advises.
People react very differently to crises. Most individuals stay calm. Experience also shows that the number of people affected by incidents is usually much higher than expected. Far more people than we imagine are often impacted by critical incidents.
The paradox of support When critical incidents occur, large resources are usually mobilised in the early stages to take care of those affected and their next of kin. This is good. But as time goes by, the need for support often increases, while the availability of support and aid decreases.
“Experience from the last 20 years shows that the need for help and support stretches over a long period of time. Which means that help must continue to be available,” says Kristoffersen.
According to the psychology specialist, many companies have assigned a next of kin contact person as a liaison between the company and the affected families. This is a good thing. But these contacts need initial training, to prepare and equip them for conducting their role.
It is especially important that people within the companies – both colleagues and managers – are aware of their existence. And all parties must be aware that their tasks demand time, and will take up some of their working hours.
“For how long should they conduct this role? Three weeks? No, the time horizon should be one year,“ Kristoffersen says.
Taking their responsibility seriously Head of the Competence Centre, Dag Normann Aasjord, is very pleased with the interest shown for attending the course. In his opinion, it demonstrates that the handling of reactions to crisis incidents is a relevant subject to OFFB’s members.
“The content of the course is of direct relevance to the safeguarding of personnel involved in incidents and crises, and our members are taking their responsibility seriously. We have a good collaborative partnership with the Clinic for crisis psychology, and Jakob Inge Kristoffersen has a long and unique experience,” says Aasjord.
Courses offered by the Competence Centre are also good arenas for exchanging experience, and the members take the opportunity to make contact with each other during the breaks.
Beredskapskonferansen arrangeres i år for 14. gang og gjennomføres på Clarion Hotel Stavanger.
Konferansen starter med en uformell sammenkomst for deltakere og utstillere mandag 12. september klokken 19, før man gyver løs på to fulle dager med beredskapsfaglige spørsmål og problemstillinger.
Det settes naturligvis også av godt med tid til faglige diskusjoner og sosialt samvær i pauser, lunsjer og under konferansemiddagen 13. september.
Årets program har fire hovedtemaer:
Kapasitet og kompetanse innen beredskap
Aksjonsledelse i forbindelse med langvarige hendelser
Covid-19 – håndtering og læring
Trusselbildet i det norske samfunnet
På scenen møter sterke foredragsholdere fra Industri Energi, Ravyn, Petroleumstilsynet, Equinor, Kystverket, NOFO, Luftforsvaret, Safetec, Vår Energi, Folkehelseinstituttet, Odfjell Technology, PST, Universitetet i Stavanger, Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap (DSB).
Mer informasjon om programmet og påmelding finner du her:
“OFFB offers the best solution for emergency preparedness, both in terms of experience and breadth of services. OFFB was therefore a natural choice for us, when we start drilling our second own-operated well on the Norwegian continental shelf this summer, in the Copernicus prospect off Brønnøysund in Nordland county,” says Marek Woszczyk, general manager of PGNiG Upstream Norway.
The Norwegian company is wholly-owned by Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA, which is the biggest petroleum exploration and production company in Poland. PGNiG was listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2005, and the Polish state is its biggest shareholder.
PGNiG Upstream Norway has been active on the Norwegian continental shelf since 2007. The company has expanded through a series of successful investments and acquisitions. In 2021, it acquired INEOS E&P Norge.
The main objective of PGNiG Upstream Norway is to secure the supply of gas and oil to the PGNiG Group. The hydrocarbons will be transported to Poland through the Baltic Pipe. Together with its partners, PGNiG Upstream Norway has participated in the drilling of more than 50 exploration- and production wells, resulting in significant oil and gas discoveries such as Ærfugl, Shrek and Warka.
PGNiG Upstream Norway holds shares in nine producing fields on the NCS today. These are Skarv, Morvin, Vilje, Vale, Gina Krog, Skogul, Ærfugl, Kvitebjørn and Valemon. It also has shares in seven projects with plans for development: Ærfugl phase 2, Gråsel, Duva, Tommeliten Alpha, King Lear, Alve Nord and Shrek. The company holds shares in a total of 60 licenses on the NCS.
PGNiG Upstream Norway’s head office is in Stavanger.
Managing Director of OFFB, Ole Jacob Haug, and general manager of PGNiG Upstream Norway, Marek Woszczyk.
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