Technology Focus: Health, Safety, and Environment (August 2008)

Abstract

Technology Focus Health, safety, and environment (HSE) continue to be integral parts of all sectors of the oil and gas industry. Individual companies and industry associations strive continually to develop more-effective systems for managing HSE. In the May 2008 issue, JPT editor John Donnelly wrote a column about how safety performance could be strained as worldwide drilling demand continues to grow at unprecedented rates. Nobody in the business wants to see this happen, but the safety (and health and environmental) challenges of operating faster and in more-difficult situations cannot be overlooked. This year, as the HSE feature coordinator, was far more complicated than in past years. The JPT staff sent me more than 350 abstracts from HSE papers presented during the past year. Out of that thick pile, I had to select only a few for featuring here. I have encouraged splitting the three HSE disciplines into three, or at least two, separate features. The first gradual movement in that direction happened this year, as a new feature (CO2 Applications) was created, which considers carbon-capture and -sequestration papers. In a second small shift, this year's HSE feature offers papers for additional reading separately in each of the three areas. Your input regarding the split of these disciplines into separate features is encouraged, especially in the next reader survey. Health, Safety, and Environment additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org Health SPE 108551 • "Occupational-Health Aspects of Emergency Preparedness and Response" by D.S. Jones, ExxonMobil SPE 111545 • "The Other Infectious Diseases of Concern" by Jean-Marie Moreau, ConocoPhillips, et al. Safety SPE 111563 • "Technology and Innovations Contribute to Safety and Efficiency in Storm-Disaster Recovery" by J.F. Mailey, SPE, Chevron SPE 111845 • "Our Sustained Efforts—‘Hand and Finger Campaign’" by Rune Hobberstad, Halliburton, et al. Environment SPE 110118 • "Mercury-Removal Project: Issues and Challenges in Managing and Executing a Technology Project" by Muhamad Rashid Sainal, Petronas, et al. SPE 111973 • "Emerging Issues in Produced-Water Management: Total E&P Norge's Approach" by Pierre Goud, Total, et al. SPE 112861 • "Oil and Gas Producers’ E&P Waste-Management Guidelines" by E. Garland, SPE, Total, et al.