Commentary, 9/10 2013Oct 16, 2013 Playing it Safe?
Not so very long from now, we may look back to this autumn as a turning point for the oil and gas industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Most wait until a new year begins before making predictions, but as a result of Norway’s recent Parliamentary elections, we can take a look at what we think the future might hold.
And, as with New Year’s predictions, it’s probably best to tread carefully, as the situation is in flux – a pitfall for all predictions.
From the Editor, 9/10 2013Oct 16, 2013 Everyone’s Business
Although safety is a 24-7-365 concern, we traditionally reserve our fall issue to take up health, safety and environmental issues.
The Arctic is an especially sensitive area in which to work, and we start with two features that take up this topic.
Arctic Comment – Towards the Ice EdgeOct 16, 2013 Legitimate concerns for the environment and an unprecedented series of discoveries now define “Arctic oil”. As we planned this issue, OMV in Norway was proving oil at Wisting Central, Lundin was staring at a 75-metre oil column at Gohta near Snøhvit and Statoil grimaced at Iskrystall gas. In the background, big fields Skruugard and Johan Castberg await development. Yet, capturing headlines were anti-artic-oil protests in downtown London, the Russian Arctic and on the Formula 1 circuit. “Greens” insist there are flaws in operator safety credentials, although arctic safety-tech has never been more capable. What’s eating the Greens is the industry’s drive to the Barents Sea ice edge.
Notes from a CockpitOct 16, 2013 The oil and gas industry is ever changing. Operations are becoming more remote, safety regulations are becoming more stringent and the workforce is becoming increasingly more diverse. As we progress through, we can learn a lot from other disciplines, in particular the aviation industry and how they manage risk.
Quantifying and Reducing Flow Rate Measurement UncertaintyOct 16, 2013 While flow meters are calibrated under perfect laboratory conditions, the environments into which they are installed vary greatly. For example, a flow meter may be calibrated with fluid at 20° C, but the fluid temperature in service could actually be as great as 70° C, which will have a significant effect on flow measurement accuracy if not properly accounted for. Similarly, the effects of elevated pressure must also be taken in to account. So, how can operators effectively allow for this uncertainty?
