Systematic Root-Cause Analysis of Three Major Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Accidents Using the AcciMap Methodology

Abstract

Abstract The investigation of different accidents in offshore oil and gas drilling industry indicates inadequate management systems and miscommunication as one of the major contributing factors leading to these accidents. In this paper, we will identify the common contributing factors of three major offshore oil and gas drilling accidents in the period of 2009 to 2013 using the structure of the AcciMap methodology, as a risk management and accident investigation framework that was developed by Rasmussen in 1997. This methodology analyzes the contribution of different socio-technical factors and involved key players in an accident through its hierarchical structure. This provides a broader perspective to investigate accidents and identify their common contributing factors. The two analyzed accidents in this paper are the Hercules 265 Jack-up Rig Blowout in 2013 and the Montara Oil Spill in 2009 using the structure of the AcciMap framework. The results of this analysis will then be compared with the already developed AcciMap framework by Tabibzadeh and Meshkati (2015) for the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout to find the similarities among these accidents. One of the important findings about these accidents is the fact that they did not occur as the act of individuals (we cannot blame front-line operators), but rather due to highly responsive and combined processes, which involve decisions of several layers of key players. In this chain, companies and their policies affect their management's plans and decisions. These decisions are passed on to lower levels and impact personnel's (crew's) actions, which eventually along with existing processes and conditions could lead to disasterous accidents. In addition, government and regulatory agencies as well as industry codes, standards and best practices, as external factors, play a role in contributing to accidents. Moreover, the analysis of the comparison of the three aforementioned accidents shows that how lack of proper, standard well control procedures and guidelines or lack of knowledge about them when combined with ineffective communication and interoperability can prove to be deadly and harmful in different ways. It causes loss of life, property and revenue. In addition, it endangers the environment, which is already suffereing due to other human activities.