HSElife magazine No 12 UK

HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE for Oil & Gas industry

12

and more...

In this issue:

THE POWER OFREFRESHING

2

SAFETY WITHNO SIGN IS A...

18

TOTAL E&PNEDERLAND

6THROUGH DEVELOPMENT HSELIFEUNIO.COM

12

AMSTELVELD

36

Q2 2014

GDF SUEZ50 YEARS CAPTURED

22

SPECIAL EDITION

conversation

Anopenpage 4

A good conversation about health, safety andenvironment also forms part of HSElife UNIO

we care!

THE POWER OF REFRESHINGForeword

Or how about the German cases, articles and prepositions you had to learn at secondary school – Der, die, das. An, auf, hinter, neben, in, über, unter, vor and zwischen. Ich bin, du bist, wir sind – and so on and so forth. Remember the Dutch and English alphabet you had to learn by heart. All this knowledge has been ingrained in your brain and pops up automatically when needed. You don’t even think about it.

In advertising, a well known phrase is: “Repetition empowers the message”. If you repeat the message often enough, you will remember it. However, when we take a new training, a lot of the information will stay in our short term memory and we actually remember only a small part of it. It is for a reason that ERO’s for instance, are required to take a refresher or a rehearsal course every year in order to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date.

How can we ensure that people working in the Oil and Gas Industry keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date? How can we make sure that the knowledge they have gathered during training will have a lasting impact on their brain? Luckily, our refresher training programs will safeguard this. Such as the Permit to Work, the Task Risk Analysis and the Last Minute Risk Analysis. Use them to your advantage!

On behalf of THE WAT GROUP,Pier van Spronsen

At primary school, you’ve had to learn the tables by heart and you

had to be able to recite them so many times that you didn’t need to

think about it anymore. 1 x 8 = 8, 2 x 8 = 16, 3 x 8 = 24, and so on.

3

WE CARE – AN OPEN CONVERSATION

The companies are proud to present the ‘WE CARE – A FORMAT FOR AN OPEN CONVERSATION’.

It includes posters, A6-sized brochures, onscreen presentations and videos on how to organise an OPEN

CONVERSATION. The information can also be found on the newly updated hselifeunio.com website.

We hope that after reading the documentation you will have a clearer idea of what is expected of you.

we care!conversation

openAn

The companies affiliated to HSElife UNIO all use their own ‘safety observation tool’, such

as SMAT (Safety Management Auditing Technique), PAUZE, Unsafe Act Auditing, or OOG

(Observatie Onbewust Gedrag). All these tools are designed to promote safety at the

workplace. They are not a form of ‘inspection’ – instead, they are about discussing matters

openly. This involves a number of important steps. Communication is the first step. Listening to

each other, and showing understanding of each other’s position. This is followed by Attention

to Risks and Evaluating the actual and desired situation – these are also important steps. It is

all about CARE for each other. Together, we prevent incidents and we learn from each other,

and we achieve that by having an OPEN CONVERSATION.

4

conversationopenAn

An OPEN CONVERSATION: focusing attention on the whole chain from work preparations to the execution of work, and to the evaluation of the work carried out.

we care!

An exchange of views. Listen to one another. Learn from one another. We should do that more often. Not just during

formal progress meetings, but at other times as well. Simply because we all stand to gain by this. Are you approach-

able to an open and frank conversation? If so, why not free up a few minutes of your time and get involved?

An OPEN CONVERSATION: collectively, we can achieve safer working practices…

openAn

conversation

“NO PROBLEM,

I’ll wait, I have a few moments.”

…because an open conversation is also a part of HSElife UNIO.

but…?”“I can see that you're BUSY

What are your views about work safety? How can that be donebetter? What things would you like to be done differently?

conversationopenAn

What do you think about work safety? How canit be improved? What would you like to see done differently?

…a good conversation also forms part of HSElife UNIO

openAnconversation

The 10 most frequently asked questions

1. Why should I make time available for a conversation?

An open conversation, at the place of work itself, makes a useful contribution towards enhancing

risk awareness and therefore to work safety. After all, being committed to safety means wishing

to improve all the time. This can be achieved if we are all willing to listen to each other and to

learn with and from each other.

An OPEN CONVERSATION is intended to generate conversations about work safety and the practical conse-

quences of certain safety and environmental standards. We see it as a means of ensuring that everyone remains

alert to the importance of safety at work and thereby of raising risk awareness. That is in the interest of us all.

2. What department do the visitors who engage in an OPEN CONVERSATION with employees come from?

Visitors come from different departments. Often, they know what work is carried out at the site, but not exactly

how. By talking about it at the place of work, they can gain a clear impression of the way work is performed, and

of the circumstances in which it is done. Visitors are not ‘routine’ visitors. Anyone can engage in an open

conversation with employees, whether it is spontaneous or planned.

3. Do visitors walk around the site on their own?

Visitors can hold an open conversation either on their own or with a colleague. They have permission to do so

from the site manager. However, they may also be accompanied by the site supervisor.

4. What is an OPEN CONVERSATION about?

The situation and the work on-site or current events determine what subjects are raised during a visitors’ round.

The conversation could just as easily be about matters that are going satisfactorily or which have gone well as it

could about problems that someone is encountering. Visitors’ rounds are emphatically not intended as a form of

inspection or interrogation.

A6 brochure

Frequently Asked Questions

Onscreen presentation

A2 posters

Video

HOW IT STARTED

Years ago, SMAT was introduced as a tool for supervisors and,

to a lesser degree, for management, in order for them to have

a better idea of the issues that mattered to the people on the

shop floor. Gradually, and unintentionally, it increasingly became

a means for carrying out short and mostly technical inspections

at the sites. A review was held in 2009, together with The WAT

Group. This led to the development of a new method that was

presented to the board and subsequently rolled out.

Cor Postma and Evry Schuiling were there at the start, since

when they have ‘fought’ to uphold and maintain the idea behind

the method: holding an on-site open discussion.

INCREASING RISK-AWARENESS

An OPEN CONVERSATION is a way of addressing

the subject of risks in an open, constructive manner.

Often, it is not clear whether or not work has

been properly prepared until the employees arrive

at the installation or site, or indeed whether the

preparations allow the work to be carried out safely.

By holding a discussion at the installation or the

site, we can ensure that we will better understand

the risks associated with the work, and that we will

be able to recognise and manage them. That is why

an OPEN CONVERSATION significantly helps to

increase risk-awareness and, accordingly, safety at

work. That is in your own interest and in the interest

of everyone else - directors, supervisors, and regular

employees alike. We all have an important joint role

in preventing incidents.

We are convinced that we can all learn from each other by listening to each other.

5

TOTAL E&P Nederland

1964 – 201431 March 2014 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of

Total E&P Nederland B.V. This milestone will be celebrated

under the motto ‘Driven by Talent & Innovation’, with a

unique series of masterclasses for all stakeholders involved.

You can find more information about this on the special

anniversary website, www.totalepnl50.nl.

6

How did it all start? The discovery of the natural gas field at Slochteren (the Groningen gas field) in1959 was exciting news for the Netherlands, but it also marked the start of a gold rush period in the country’s oil and gas industry. Within just a few years, there were at least four major players (NAM, Chevron, Mobil and BP) actively exploring for oil and gas in the Netherlands.

The potential that the Netherlands offered had not gone unnoticed by the state-owned oil and gas companies in France. In the early 1960s, France’s Regie Autonome des Pétroles (RAP) and the Bureau de Recherches des Pétroles (BRP) were actively exploring for gas onshore and offshore in the Netherlands by means of aeromagnetic and seismic surveys and exploration drilling.

This advance work resulted in the formation of Petroland N.V. in Rotterdam on 31 March 1964. The new company was a four-way venture between:• Société auxiliaire de la Régie autonome des pétroles (Auxirap)• Société de participations pétrolières (Petropar)• Société de recherches et d’exploitation de pétrole (Eurafrep)• Compagnie française des pétroles (CFP) – the legal predecessor of the present-day Total S.A.

Today the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Total group, one of the world’s largest integrated energy businesses. It has grown substantially since the early days. Important milestones in our almost 50-year history are shown below.

7

Company established under the

name Petroland N.V.

First gas discoveries on the

Dutch Continental Shelf.

First gas production from

L4-A platform.

Start of onshore gas production

in the Leeuwarden permit area.

Award of Zuidwal

permit.

Start of offshore gas production

in L7 block and at the treatment

centre in Middenmeer.

1964 1973

1983

19711984

1977

Milestones

TOTAL E&P NEDERLAND > 1964-2014

8


L7-A and L4-B, the first

unmanned platforms on

the Dutch Continental

Shelf.


F15-A platform.

Start-up of L7-H

platform.

NOGAT gas pipeline system

commissioned; start-up of K6

treatment centre, and first gas

production from K6-D and K6-DN

platforms.Start-up of K5 treatment

centre; K5-A and K5-D

platforms are operational.First gas production from

Zuidwal, Oosterend,

Leeuwarden West fields

and L7-N platform; world’s

first three horizontal gas

wells are drilled from

Zuidwal platform.

1989

1985 1993

1992

19941988


9

Start-up of K5-B

platform.

First gas production

from the Gorredijk

concession.Merger with Total Oil and

Gas Nederland B.V. to

become TotalFinaElf E&P

Nederland B.V.; start-up of

K4-BE platform.

Start-up of K5-EN/C

platform and K4-aD

subsea well.

Start-up of L4-PN and

K6-GT platforms.

New company name:

Total E&P Nederland B.V.

19951998

2001

1997 1999

2003

Milestones


10

2010

Sale of onshore

production licences to

Vermilion Energy;

launch of L4-G project.Merger of the

Den Helder office

with the head office

in The Hague.


L4-G subsea well.

Start-up of K5-CU

satellite platform.

Subsea lines are laid

for K4-Z gas production

installation; large 3D

seismic acquisition on of

TEPNL acreage; start-up

of L4-D field.

Successful drilling of

K5EC-5, the longest

extended-reach well in the

Netherlands; preparations

for K5-F development.

Start-up of K4-Z

subsea production

installation.

Acquisition of Goal

Petroleum (Netherlands)

B.V.; start-up of the K5-F

subsea wells using world’s

first all-electrically operated

subsea wellheads; approval

of the K5-CU project.

20042007

2006 2012

2005 20132008


11

Continuously, we are updating and through

developing hselifeunio.com. Our main

objective here is that our information is

clear and easy to find.

hselifeunio.comThrough development

12

During the past year, we have received

a lot of constructive feedback which

we have used to improve our site. This

results in a clearer site structure which

makes the information easier and faster

to find. Obviously, it is important to us

that everybody uses the information, for

it helps us to work more safely. We have

defined 5 categories:

ThemaHSE itemsTrainingHSElife magazineSupport

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homepage On the homepage, you immediately find a short description of

each category so that you’ll know exactly which information

is where to be found. Through development also implies that

the site has gotten a new look & feel, coherent with the new

site structure. Moreover, for each subject a short explanation is

provided, indicated by (?).

THROUGH DEVELOPMENT HSELIFEUNIO.COM

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15

iPhone, Android, iPadIn 2014, the site will be completely competitive with iPhone,

Android and iPad. This way, you’ll have the information

available 24/7, anywhere you are.


16

New subjects

Any suggestions?

In 2014, new subjects such as Lessons Learned and WE CARE – AN OPEN CONVERSATION are

presented on the site.

Do you have useful suggestions on how

to further improve the site? Please send

an email to [email protected].


17

SAFETY WITH

NO SAFETYIS A SIGN OF NO SIGN

BLOMSMA

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“Rules and regulations on safety signs are still focused on land application,”

says Blomsma Signs & Safety CEO, Willem Heijboer. “In the past years, I

have spoken about this with a lot of Offshore industry professionals. As a result

of the lack of adequate rules, we started to pioneer. The experience with this

on both sides has lead to what now will become the general standard.”

According to Heijboer, the process of

harmonizing safety signs has begun

to outgrow its infancy. “From within

NOGEPA, a positive development

emerges,” he says. “I can see that the

State Supervision of Mines also displays

a constructive attitude towards this

subject. From my position at the sideline,

I obviously applaud the harmonization.

There are still several gaps, though.

Within ISO commissions, I talk with

scientists and administration officers.

They lack a feeling for what goes on in

the field. This causes most of the gaps.

On the other hand, because of this you

see more and more cooperation between

government authorities and the industry.

The trend is that the gaps are slowly

being closed. One of the most important

reasons for this is the cooperation

between HSElife UNIO participants. Here,

the connection is being made between

theory and practice and from practice back

to theory. Meaningful steps have been

taken. All kinds of separate sea and land

rules are being more and more combined

within one harmonized system. I advise

all Operators to participate. Look beyond

your own company walls and learn from

other Operators.”

GAPS

19

“The world has become a global village.

Thirty years ago, all countries were focused

on themselves. The thread being that

twenty years ago hardly nothing had been

regulated in a structured way. Now, big

companies go global and want uniform

systems. That is where the common ground

is. In the harmonization of safety signs,

The Netherlands have a leading position

and play an active role in its worldwide

harmonization. The knowledge we have

gathered does not come overnight. It is

the progressive insight that allows us to

substantiate things.”

GLOBALIZATION

“Within the organizations,a strong foundation is present

in favor of harmonization.”

SAFETY WITH NO SIGN IS A SIGN OF NO SAFETY

20

Every Operator has their own policy and he notices

that safety officers are working together, Heijboer

says. “Within the organizations, a strong foundation

is present in favor of harmonization. The arguments

are indisputable. If you want to reach a certain level of

safety, your safety expertise base has to be strong and

you need a good sign plan. If you don’t have these and

you don’t communicate about them in the same way,

safety signs are useless. Through harmonization, a tool

for improvement is being made available to the safety

experts. Safety signs as such do not offer safety. If

you make that mistake, you’re on a dangerous course.

You need adequate technical facilities, well trained

personnel and good procedures. Working safely is part

of the complete package of rules, regulations, values

and awareness.”

“A series of signs do not equal working safely. They

are only tools and means of communication. Operators

should focus on visualizing their safety policy. This

means there has to be a clear connection between

policy execution and working responsibly. They need

to maximize their communication efforts and come to

unambiguous mutual agreements. If the same warning,

prohibition and obligation signs are shown everywhere

you go, these signs will be clear to everyone and will

form the foundation for sustainability and working

safely.”

“When talking about safety signs many years ago, we

talked about a quantity of random signs and stickers.

All completely random and an explosion of different

styles. Safety signs were not an interesting subject.

There was no unity. Now, I notice that more and more

things are being accepted as a standard and that the

end user reacts positively to this. A process like this

takes time. For instance, it takes five years to develop

a standard. Regarding to this, the Operators should ask

themselves a number of important questions: “What is

relevant to us?” , “Which rules and regulations apply?”

and “Which strategic choices are we going to make?”

However, a standard is not the law but a harmonized

agreement. If all parties hold to the agreement, an

important step is being taken towards reaching our

goals.”

FOUNDATION

SUSTAINABILITY AND WORKING SAFELY

POSITIVE SOUNDS

Willem HeijboerGeneral Manager

Blomsma Groep

SAFETY WITH NO SIGN IS A SIGN OF NO SAFETY

21

1964 - 20145022

YEARS CAPTURED50Fifty years ago, several foreign E&P companies set foot on the Dutch continental shelf

in their search for the oil and gas reserves that were located there. Among them the

Placid International Oil Ltd (now GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V.), which established

its Dutch branch on 14 July 1964. Six years later, in 1970, after an extensive seismic

survey of part of the Dutch section of the North Sea, the company discovered the first

gas field in block L10. Tests showed that the L10-1 well had the capacity to produce

322,000 m3 of gas per day. From that point on, Placid went on to develop at a rapid

pace. The number of wells in production quickly increased, while the company took on

more and more people, employing one hundred by 1977. Even when world oil and gas

prices took a dramatic dive, the company continued to move forward with its activities

and plans for development. In 1989, 23 production platforms and 38 billion m3 of

natural gas richer, Placid International Oil was able to celebrate its 25-year existence

on Dutch soil with pride.

Partly as a result of a new recession in the early 1990s, Placid Oil Company was

sold in 1995 to Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Just three years later, however,

TransCanada Pipelines Limited of Calgary took over the company, and the Dutch-based

activities were continued under the name TransCanada International (Netherlands) B.V.

23

NEDERLANDSE OFFSHOREE&P INDUSTRIE BESTAAT

At the start of the new millennium, the Dutch company was taken over by Gaz de France,

from which time it was known as GDF Production Nederland B.V. Its exploration and production

activities were given a powerful boost, thanks to the new owner’s strategy for growth. The Dutch

government, too, was keen to assist the industry, and so announced a number of tax measures

that gave operators an incentive to develop small or marginal fields. It was precisely these

resources that enabled GDF Production Nederland to expand its exploration and production

activities. Not only were new fields discovered, but it now had financial resources available that

opened the door to various acquisitions. Following a merger at the Gaz de France and SUEZ

head office, GDF Production Nederland B.V. took on its present name in 2008 - GDF SUEZ E&P

Nederland B.V. Today, it is the largest and most active gas producer on the Dutch continental shelf.

As well as a highly active E&P industry in the Netherlands, the past fifty years have also seen

major visible changes to safety in general within the industry. In particular, the Piper Alpha tragedy

in 1988 in the UK section of the North Sea, when 167 offshore employees lost their lives, had a

significant effect on safety policies. The Dutch government was among those who adopted the

recommendations from the detailed investigation into the accident. It led, for example, to a much

stronger focus on the safety of people offshore. In many cases, existing platforms had to be given

technological upgrades in order to make them sufficiently safe for people and the environment.

There was a much greater focus on safety training courses and on safety-related risks.

GDF SUEZ E&P NEDERLAND B.V.THE LARGEST AND MOST ACTIVE GAS PRODUCER ON THE DUTCH CONTINENTAL SHELF.

GDF SUEZ > 1964-2014 50 YEARS CAPTURED

24

A number of years ago, the WAT Group together with several operators took the initiative of

starting a harmonization process. Using a joint platform, the different views on working safely

are being brought into harmony with each other. This initiative is called HSElife UNIO. The idea

behind HSElife UNIO is to make the Dutch Oil and Gas Industry the safest industry by working

together and by exchanging experiences. With this initiative, the operators take important

steps in improving HSE performance and reducing the number of incidents occurring within the

industry. Most oil and gas operators operating in the Netherlands have joined HSElife UNIO.

THE PAST FIFTY YEARS HAVE ALSO SEEN MAJOR VISIBLE CHANGES

TO SAFETY IN GENERALWITHIN THE INDUSTRY.


25


26

14 juli 1964

1967 1971

1969

1968 1972

The American Placid Oil Company founds Placid International Oil Ltd. to explore the Dutch section of the North Sea for oil and gas. Address: Oranjestraat 2b, The Hague. Start of seismic survey.

GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V. discovers natural gas for the first time on the Dutch continental shelf (block L10). Penrod 58 drills the L10-1 well and tests show a production capacity of 322,000 cubic metres of gas a day.

Of the 22 applications, 9 production licences are granted, i.e. for the blocks H16, G11, L10, E16, G13, F14 and G14.

The L10-AD platform is the first platform to be erected on the Dutch continental shelf.

Placid applies for22 licences.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs issues a production licence for the L10 block and the neighbouring L11 block. Placid is thus the first company to have a production licence for the Dutch continental shelf.

The supply base on shore in Den Helder opens.

1970


27

1974

1976

1977

1975In 1973, the Den Uyl cabinet decides that the first gas drilled by Placid in the Dutch section of the North Sea would not be brought to shore via Germany but via Uithuizen. Start of the construction of the 178 kilometre long NGT pipeline, including the gas treatment station in Uithuizen. Noordgastransport B.V. is founded for the transport and treatment of the gas.

In May 1975, the gas project executive and former owner of Placid asked whether Koos van der Salm would join the company as Engineering & Construction Manager. He was also appointed Managing Director of Noordgastransport BV. First gas production (the first on the Dutch continental plat). L10-A complex is expanded with the L10-AP production platform and the L10-AR riser platform. On the riser platform, a metres high transmitter mast was installed. From this mast, a radio connection was made with the mast on Texel, creating the best communication system in the world. The L10-A complex had a direct connection with the PTT telephone and telex network in the Netherlands.

In 1974, it was decided to reduce the gas extraction in the Groningen field (Groningenveld) to save gas reserves. From then on, the government stimulated the exploration and development of other small gas fields: the ‘small field policy’. On the Industriehaven in Den Helder, a huge storage site with an area of 35,000 m2 was rented. A recruitment campaign started for the crew for the new platforms for the L10-A gas production complex. The first pile was driven for the gas treatment station in Uithuizen.

Several departments move to an office building on Handelsweg in Den Helder.

The 100th employee joins the company;by the end of 1977 there are already 110.

32 of them work at head office inThe Hague, 34 in the office in Den Helder,

39 work offshore in production and5 work offshore in drilling.

1973


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1982

1980

19871984

1983

1986

After five years, L10-L11 has produced nearly 15 billion cubic metres of gas and nearly 15,000 cubic metres of condensate.

The American owners of Placid withdraw from the management.As General Manager, Koos van der Salm heads the Dutch team.

Start of gas production from the northern section of the K12 block. A feasibility study is launched into the possibilities of having the carbon dioxide implemented offshore for the K12-B project.

Dramatic fall in oil and gas prices on the global market. A barrel of oil dropped from 30 to 10 dollars. All over the world, exploration activities are suspended. Placid continued its development plans undeterred.

Gas discovery in K12.Test of d well K12-6 gives a production capacity of 700,000 cubic metres of gas a day. However, the gas had a remarkably high carbon dioxide level.

At the end of 1987, another gas structure is drilled in the L10 block. The K12-B platform is installed and Heerema Marine Contractors set a world hoisting record with the installation of the 6250 ton deck module K12-BP with the unique carbon dioxide removal module. On 1 August, the gas tap opens.

In order to increase the transport capacity of the NGT pipeline, it is decided to apply offshore compression. Besides the L10-AR riser platform, the L10-AC compressor platform is built.

After 20 years of activity in the Dutch section of the North Sea, Placid has drilled more than 100 wells and installed 14 platforms offshore.

1985


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1989

1992 1994

1991

1993

The accident with the Piper Alpha provides a powerful impulse for the safety policy in the offshore industry.

The offices in The Hague and Den Helder have become too small. In Zoetermeer, a new head office is built and a new office is also opened in Den Helder.

NOGEPA requests the Minister van Economic Affairs to reduce the financial levies relating to the extraction of natural gas from small fields. As a result, 25 small gas fields which had not been profitable for exploitation were taken into production.

25th anniversary. Proud of 23 offshore platforms, 38 billion cubic metres of natural gas. The reserves still available are estimated at 25 billion cubic metres.

The strategic position of the 178 kilometre long NGT pipeline enables more and more operators to use the facilities to transport their gas to the shore.

In the 1990s, the offshore industry lands in a recession. Very little drilling takes place in the North Sea. Koos van der Salm: “We saw opportunities, but did not have the resources to tap their potential.”

After approval by the Works Council, the offshore rota was changed from 7 days on / 7 days off to 14 days on / 14 days off.

1988

1995Occidental Petroleum Corporation from Los Angeles buys Placid Oil Company.

Placid International Oil Ltd. is renamed Occidental Netherlands Inc.


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2000 2004

2002

1998

2001

Occidental Netherlands Inc. is taken over by TransCanada PipeLines Limited from Calgary, Canada. The company becomes TransCanada International (Netherlands) B.V.

Start Safety in the Backbone, unique organisation-wide programme focusing on further expansion of safety awareness.Construction and installation of K2b-A, G14-A, G16a-A and G17d-AP platforms and the G17a-S1 subsea well. G17d-AP is linked by a steel bridge to the G17d-A platform. The G17d-AP platform is the first platform where the amount of carbons in the production water is minimised by the application of strips.

General Manager Koos van der Salm takes advantage of the early retirement provision and is succeeded by Jan Treffers. Koos is appointed chairman of the Supervisory Board. The exploration and production activities increase.

The company is bought by Gaz de France and is renamed GDF Production Nederland B.V.The new owner and its growth strategy give a powerful boost to the exploration and production activities. Even the Dutch government wants to provide support and announces incentive measures.

Start of carbon dioxide storage in the K12-B field. Acquisition of production licences for D12a, D15, K2b and K3a and the exploration licences for D18a, E17a and E17b. Gas discovery in G14 and G17

The G17d-A is taken into production as a satellite. Seismic survey in G17a.

2005


31

2007

2010

2008

2009

The merger between Gaz de France and SUEZ results in the GDF SUEZ Group. GDF Production Nederland B.V. continues under the name GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V. New E17a-A production platform. Large-scale seismic survey in K and L blocks. Acquisition of the blocks F3, L4/L5, L12/L15 and the NOGAT/A6-F3 pipelines.

Implementation Central Control Room Onshore (CCR). Relocation head office Zoetermeer. Refurbishment Den Helder office. Farewell Jan Treffers – arrival Ruud Zoon. Jan Treffers succeeds Koos van der Salm as chairman of the Supervisory Board. Gas discovered in L5a with record high pressure and temperature. Acquisition Amstel field (Amstelveld). GDF SUEZ Exploration and Production Netherlands takes initiative in development ORCA gas field. OAS wins Trophees d’Innovation from GDF SUEZ Group. Share NOGAT pipeline increases to 48.2%. Mid winter offshore.

Introduction Offshore Access System (OAS). New G14-B satellite platform. Seismic survey E16/E17. Expansion with ±50 permanent employees offshore. K12 complex gets so-called rucksack module on K12-BP platform

Installation and start of production E17a-A production platform. Ringed Seal Willem guest at F3-FB-1. Tour Zuiderzee. From well to invoice automated with CHARM. G16a-B satellite has a first: microturbines.


32

2012

2014

20112013

1987

Most active operator in Dutch section of the North Sea. Average three drilling platforms at work at the same time. Amstel field: Oil reservoir drilled. Start development unique environmental neutral production platform. Preparation construction Sierra (L5a-D) and Orca (D18a-A) platforms. G16a-B installed and start production. Safety in the Backbone project ‘Flow’ wins Trophee d’Innovation from the GDF SUEZ Group.Start Health programme, cooking sessions.Noble Ronald Hoope 10 years LTI free. Ruud Zoon, chairman NOGEPA.

Construction and installation platforms.The electricity cable from shore to the new Q13a-A Amstel platform has been laid. Load-out and installation of the 3 new platforms (L5a-D, D18-A and Q13a-A) are currently taking place.

Construction 3 platforms at the same time. Very active exploration programme. More gas found in L10: L10-36 Ruby, F17-10 gas well (Wintershall). Construction G17d-AP compression module and the compression modifications for the L5 platform. Dispatching NOGAT implemented. New HSE brochures introduced. Warehouse Den Helder undergoes radical refurbishment.

Regina Allen drills HP/HT well.

GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V.

50 YEARS - Bringing out the best

John van Schie of NAM andJürgen Joosten of Centrica are blogging about the ‘Management of Safety Health & Environment’ (MoSHE) Master’s programme that they are taking at the Delft University of Technology. Read their blog.

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Hi Jürgen,

How are you doing? We haven’t seen each other for a while. Last time, you asked in your blog whether I knew

what the advisory assignment entailed. Well, I can now tell you that I have a pretty good idea. A group of us

started work at a brewery, who asked us to help them evaluate the safety of various logistic designs. A reasonably

simple request on the face of it, but in fact there is enough depth in the task for us to get our teeth into. I have

to say that it means a lot of work, but it is hugely enriching to be involved with it. It makes a change not to be

working on the operational safety on our NAM installations, and instead to be concerned with the routes taken

by forklift trucks as they move pallets of beer barrels around. All very different, but then suddenly you come up

against the safety culture in the company. There are in fact certain parallels between beer and gas, and you can

draw on your own experiences when making recommendations.

Can the training course be combined with work? I have noticed that the course and contact with my fellow-students are very useful.

It means I am better placed to put certain challenges in my work in context and to come up with smoother solutions, so that certain elements of the work progress more quickly. That’s just as well, because you also use up time in actually going to the college, or to the brewery for an assignment. Sometimes it takes a real chunk out of your week, leaving me with the feeling that I am selling the people at work short. There are occasions when I would like to spend more time on a particular subject, but I just cannot make the time available. That’s the way it is, but I do think that ultimately it is a win-win situation. The company and I both stand to benefit from the process. I have recently been doing a lot of reading for my thesis on resilience. It’s time-consuming, but again the investment is worth it. I gain a lot of fresh insights from interesting articles and books. I have decided to explore this area further once I have finished my studies.

Just one more week block to go in March. We are going to be talking about strategy and the overall overview of the study programme. I understand that we are to be given another assignment on this, for the purposes of preparation and completion. It’s going to be a squeeze to get it all crammed into my schedule, and a challenge to maintain the right ‘work-life-study balance’. Fortunately, we recently spent a week at Egmond aan Zee. It was great to escape to the beach and the dunes there; it helps you a take a fresh look at everything you are involved in. How about you – are you managing to maintain that balance? I am curious to learn how you are doing with the advisory assignment.

Good luck with it, and see you in March.

Regards,

John

TOILING AND SWEATING FOR HSE

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TOILING AND SWEATING FOR HSE

Hi John,

Hmm… how I am doing with the advisory assignment.... Not easy. Perhaps I am someone who prefers to work by himself. It has become more and more difficult to arrange anything recently. My life has been taken over, especially if there is an event offshore. Even if the event is only minor, it can still entail a lot of work. It’s interesting that you talk about the ‘work-life-study balance’. Mine is completely askew. Very busy with work, reorganisation in Aberdeen, so I am dealing with different people. Introductions, feeling your way around, sending information, answering different questions, and at the same time meeting the demands of your own site. Life… What life? As you probably know, I have a young family, a house that needs working on, and a very busy hobby. I am on the jury of a Flemish book prize, for which I have to read at least 70 Dutch-language books every year. So, plenty to do. Oh yes, there are my studies too. No small task, especially if you realise that you have to hand in your thesis for the first time in July. All in all, you could say I’m as busy as a bee, so it’s difficult to get any sort of balance.

The sequence I would use is not the same as yours – mine would be ‘life-work-study’. This doesn’t mean I don’t regard studying as important, but you do need a certain degree of assertiveness.

I must say that it does tie in with your subject. As soon as you decide to embark on something - a study course or marriage (?) – then you have to be able to cope with the changes that it brings. You can’t just go away for a week, or potter about at the weekends, or ignore events at your work. If a reorganisation or major event occurs, you have to be able to change gear. You have to be there. And that of course sometimes makes it difficult to meet all your obligations. So it means having to set priorities, and that is perhaps the hardest thing for most people. Managing a diary, saying no to extra work. Or resisting all the temptations at home. A weekend away, a birthday here, an outside drink there. I still don’t know if I have found the right overall balance. I’m still trying to find my way. I understand now that people can make mistakes and that incidents (events) can occur as a result. Perhaps if you are preoccupied about something, worries about your family, or something else. How can you focus on your work in that case? Maybe women are better able to cope with it than men are. Being able to multi-task… One more reason not to use the phone in the car… Even if my boss had not advised against it, I wouldn’t do it anyway. One thing at a time. I think that’s how I’m going to plan things. Work this week, the whole of next week off, with half for the family and the other half for finishing my work for the MoSHE.

Best of luck to you too. Let’s talk soon.

Cheers, Jürgen

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ENVIRONMENTALLY NEUTRAL OIL PRODUCTION PLATFORM OPERATING AT FULL SPEED

The first GDF SUEZ production platform to produce oil in the Netherlands is now a fact. Its name: Q13a-A. The platform sits at 12 km off the coast of Scheveningen in the Amstel Field (Q13a).

Unique is that the electricity needed for the production process comes from the main

land. The production platform is namely connected to the Municipality of The Hague

electricity net through a high-voltage cable that has been laid between the platform and

the mainland.

Existing infrastructureUsing the gas which is being released during the refinery process, all North Sea platforms produce

their own electricity. However, since Q13a-A produces oil, a diesel generator would be needed. For

Q13a-A, GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland has used the existing infrastructure. An old sewer-pipe under

the dunes leading into the sea offers an excellent opportunity to lay the electro cable from the

mainland to the platform in order to supply electricity to the platform in an environmentally friendly

way.

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Environmental managementIn view of the fact that the platform is visible to the public, the support and involvement of people and

organizations are important. Regarding to this, environmental management occupies a central position. This

means that in the early stage of the project, a lot of attention has to go out to the most important stakeholders

(for instance, in this case the coastal community) and to the most important issues. Subsequently, the

stakeholders have to be informed timely and whenever necessary a dialogue has to be initiated. The investment in

environmental management now will pay itself back later. This aspect can no longer be viewed as separate from oil

and gas activities.

About Q13a-AThe platform jacket has been anchored to the sea bottom by using so-called suction anchors. At two kilometer

depth, the electrical pumps in the production wells bring the oil up. The raw oil is being transported through a new,

25 kilometers long pipeline to the existing TAQA P15 processing platform, located northwest of the Q13a-A platform.

Here, the oil is being processed and subsequently transported further through an existing pipeline to a refinery in

Rotterdam Harbor. It is expected that the Amstel Field production will reach 15.000 barrels of oil a day and that the

field will keep on producing for about 10 years.

HistoryIn 1962, the Amstel Field was one of the first offshore discoveries. In that period, the then license holders

decided not to develop the oil reservoir that they found. Now, more than 50 years later, the situation has

radically changed. After acquiring the rights in 2010, GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V. has successfully performed

test drillings. Thanks to the use of existing facilities and innovative techniques, the oil can be produced in a

profitable and sustainable way.


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FACTS> Electricity from the mainland by making a clever use of an existing sewer-pipe belonging to an old

factory. Therefore, no diesel generator is needed on the platform resulting in no Green House Gases

emission into the air.

> Thanks to the water depth of only 19 meters, the platform can be anchored with suction anchors and

piles need not to be driven.

> The produced oil is being transported through a pipeline to the existing TAQA P15 platform. Therefore,

no oil is being loaded into tankers.

> Environmental consideration: the platform is not yellow colored but grey like the Dutch skies and its

position is thus that far from shore that there is a minimal visibility.

The Amstelveld (Q13a) - TIMELINEDiscovered in 1962, first test drilling in the ’90s.

2008: EBN B.V. participates in the activities as a state participant.

2010: GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V. becomes a co-license holder of Q13a.

2011: GDF SUEZ E&P Nederland B.V. successfully performs test drillings.

Mid 2013: At 12 kilometers from the coast, the platform is installed.

End 2013: temporary drilling activities are taking place.

Beginning 2014: start oil production.


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for industry, by industry

HSElife is a forum for those working in the petroleum and natural gas industry.HSElife focuses particularly on those working wherever HSEW is really an issueor really should be an issue: on the shop floor.

HSElife magazine is published by:The WAT Group B.V.P.O. Box 237380 AA KlarenbeekThe Netherlands+31 6 462 95 25 6 (7, 8)

www.thewatgroup.com On this issue workedThera Idema, Marjou Janse, Marcel van Spronsen, Veselin Raznatovic,Pier van Spronsen, Stéphanie van Stockum, Janine IJssel de Schepper, Bob Janssen, Marc van Baasbank, Willem Heijboer and the Members of the HSElife UNIO Steering group: Piet van Dam, Ronald Pijtak, Jan Jager, Sietse Wijnstra, Gerard Burgers, Sander Floore, Rik van der Zee, Felicia Wolting, Edwin Harteveld, Frits van der Wilt, Marc Kloppenburg, Ronny Ali, Jürgen Joosten, Ben Waardenburg, John van Schie and Alexander van der Zee.

Please e-mail any comments about subjects discussed in this magazine [email protected] attn. Janine Ijssel de Schepper.

Articles may not be taken from this publication within the meaning of Article 15 of the Netherlands Copyright Act.;© The WAT Group B.V. 2014

www.thewatgroup.com

mailto:info%40thewatgroup.com?subject=Info

HSElife magazine No 12 UK

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