Well Examination services and Independent Competent Person (ICP) services are required by UK operators for fixed and floating assets. Historically, across the industry, these services have been contracted and managed independently from one another. But a new solution is being launched by Lloyd’s Register (LR) which will help operators faced with challenging market economics.

“Our life-cycle Well Examination services aren’t just applicable in the UK market. Regardless of global location, well examination provides you with an auditable and independent process for demonstrating full compliance with local regulations, company policies and good industry practice in relation to the full life-cycle of well operations,” says Ian Mackay, LR’s Technical Manager for Compliance Operations.

LR - a leading provider of integrity, compliance and specialist risk consulting services - provides confidence to operators and regulators that drilling well risks are understood and compliant with oil and gas industry standards and regulations. For an international operator, investor, and insurance company or as part of an internal audit, LR can help support stakeholders to understand the specific risks. A favourable review can also result in lower blow-out insurance on projects for operators.

“We apply our technical and engineering expertise together with our deep knowledge of internationally agreed rules and standards, many of which we have helped to develop, to independently assess the design and operation of drilling wells in accordance with oil and gas industry standards, including the prevailing regulatory framework (and emerging regulatory changes) in which the drilling well resides,” highlights Mackay.

In the United Kingdom, drilling operators or holders of licenses for hydrocarbons are legally obligated to follow regulations in the Offshore Installations such as the Offshore Safety Directive and Safety Case Regulations 2015. The current European Parliament EU Directive (2013/30/EU) on Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations also directs Member states to introduce Well Examination into their legislative regimes, and it directs that EU headquartered Operators adopt the same management standards across their global operations.

“Our expertise and experience in relation to well integrity is vast and trusted, demonstrated by our contribution to the Oil & Gas UK Well Integrity Guidelines. These guidelines describe the essential elements of well integrity throughout the life-cycle of the well,” continues Mackay.

As well as being a recognised provider of independent verification services, LR has unrivalled skills in well management, well operations, well engineering, and has recently introduced well life-cycle and well examination services to its service offerings.

By offering the provision of ICP and well examination to customers under one process management system, the company can provide a better, cost effective way for customers to contract services as well as provide to operators a higher level of assurance.

Mackay concludes, “By integrating well examination into our existing ICP verification service offerings, the benefits to the operator are:

• More robust level of verification and well examination;
• No gaps or duplication of effort between ICP verification and well examination;
• More effective exchange of information between ICP and well examiners;
• More efficient data management with ICP verification and well examination held on common data management systems;
• Reduced number of customer interfaces as both provisions are delivered by one provider; and
• Reduced contract administrative burden (and cost) for the customer.”

Tags: Lloyd's Register