Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as a Catalyst for Culture Change

Abstract

Abstract Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for oil and gas production facilities are typically written by teams of subject matter experts including at least process engineers and experienced operators. The team is tasked with identifying the most effective ways to operate the facility (based on safety, environmental protection and economic measures). Operating the facility consistently in accordance with the SOPs should yield considerable benefits. Yet, despite their obvious importance, often relatively little effort goes into SOP development and use. SOPs are frequently developed late in the project, after the design is completed and construction is well underway. They may be used for little other than operator training. Following the initial facility startup, they may even end up on a shelf collecting dust. In this environment SOPs have little influence on either the design or the operation of the facility. SOPs however could be so much more. They can be an integral part of the design process and a catalyst for culture change in the industry. Generated early enough they can be a powerful tool for finding and correcting operability issues in the design. Improving the design in this manner should yield a facility that is easier to operate and inherently safer. Effective SOPs that are actually used in the field could have a significant further impact on process safety. This paper suggests methods for generating SOPs that accomplish the dual goals of improved design and improved, safer operation. The approach involves writing preliminary procedures (high-level and mid-level) much earlier in the design process and maturing the procedures along with the design. Another important feature is that the final procedures are simpler, easier to use, easier to scan and less likely to be misinterpreted. This paper will also provide background information to understand how we have arrived at this method for procedure writing as well as provide several key examples of learnings from previous projects.