Health, Safety, & Environment

The development of standards, guidelines, and Rules to ensure safe design, quality construction, and verify that offshore equipment was built to a recognized standard, helped the industry. These Rules also assured domestic and foreign regulatory authorities, charged with safety on their continental shelves, that the equipment being used to explore for oil and gas in their waters was safe. The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) led an industry effort by forming a Special Committee to write Rules by which structural and mechanical fitness-for-purpose of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) could be assured. The ABS Rules for Building and Classing Mobile Drilling Units was first published in 1968. In large part, the later International Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) rules for MODUs were based on these. Many engineers and naval architects within the industry, the ABS, and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) contributed to developing the Rules. The Committee was made up of drilling contractors, oil companies, designers, building yards, USCG, and ABS specialists. The names of the 1968 ABS MODU committee are given below.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following people and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

Frederik H. "Henry" Ackema, Norman D. "Scotty" Birrell, Richard L. Brown, Garvin W. Cooper, H.E. Denzler, Jr., John C. Estes, D.H. Falkingham, G.B. Grafton, John R. Graham, James W. Greely, Edwin Hartzman, M.D. Korkut, Dean A. Kypke, C.W. Levingston, Sam H. Lloyd, Charles O. Macdonald, Robert H. Macy, Foster T. Manning, Richard M. Marsh, William A. Martinovich, W.L. McDonald Jr., Walter H. Michel, A.R. Newman, M. O. Pattison, F. "Tim" Pease, Ralph E. Scales, George L. Temple, American Bureau of Shipping, Avondale, Bethlehem Steel, Chevron (ChevronTexaco), Conoco, Earl & Wright (Kvaerner R. J. Brown) Friede & Goldman Ltd., Global Marine (GlobalSantaFe), Humble Oil & Refining Co. (ExxonMobil), Kerr-McGee, Mobil, ODECO (Diamond Offshore), Pan American Petroleum (BP), Reading & Bates (Transocean Inc.), Santa Fe International (Global Santa Fe), SEDCO (Sedco Forex), Shell, The Offshore Co. (Transocean Inc.), U.S. Coast Guard, WODECO

Rig structures are artificial reefs. They provide natural habitats and ideal environments for marine life as well as enhance fishing and recreational diving. Congress encouraged the environmental and economic benefits of retaining selected redundant structures by unanimously passing the National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984. The US Department of the Interior--Minerals Management Service--developed their supportive policy in 1985. Still later, Louisiana and Texas unanimously passed laws similar to the federal statute. The first intentional artificial reef was created in 1979 when an experimental subsea production template was relocated from offshore Louisiana to Franklin County, Florida. Tenneco made several donations of structures to Florida and Louisiana in the early 1980s. Companies donate their structures to the state and may share some of their savings from traditional removal costs. By 1998, more than 100 redundant platforms have become reefs with a benefit to the states of $13 million.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following people and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

Dana W. Larsen, James "Jim" Morrison, Villere C. Reggio, Jr., Eugene Shinn, Carl Sullivan, Michael "Mike" Zagata Chevron (ChevronTexaco), Exxon (ExxonMobil), Lousiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: Artificial Reef Program, Tenneco, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department: Artificial Reef Program, U. S. Department of the Interior: Minerals Management Service

Offshore California in 1981, Phillips Petroleum paved the way for the use of production platforms as mariculture centers. Driven by a need to frequently clean platform legs of 3-foot thick layers of mussels, Phillips tackled the challenge of introducing mussel harvesting as a business. Bob Meek of Ecomar, Inc. worked with Phillips' Greg Stephens and Texaco's Dominic Gregorio to turn the $100,000 annual expense of platform leg cleaning into a commercial success.

Spurred by the early success of the venture, the industry has been working with various mariculture companies and educational institutions to conduct feasibility studies of establishing offshore finfish commercial mariculture operations in the Gulf of Mexico. It is felt that the industry's many offshore cultures can play a major role in meeting the public's growing demand for healthful seafood.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following people and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

Dr. Robert Meek/Ecomar, Inc.

Greg. A. Stephens, Dominic Gregorio

Phillips Petroleum, Texaco (ChevronTexaco)

In 1972, thirty-three oil and service companies formed and funded Clean Gulf Associates (CGA) as a non-profit association dedicated to protect the Gulf of Mexico and its coastline from environmental damage.

CGA has purchased over $15M of oil spill response equipment and stockpiled it at strategic locations from Texas to Mississippi. The inventory includes immediate response boats, a skimming barge, self-contained skimming packages for use on vessels of opportunity, self-propelled shallow water skimmers, containment booms, and a wildlife rehabilitation trailer for treating oiled birds. CGA also has a large stockpile of chemical dispersants whcih can be applied by aircraft to "break up" any oil spills.

CGA equipment is available to anyone needing it, and has been used on major cleanup efforts, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew and the Mega Borg tanker fire off Galveston including spills that occasionally occur in transportation operations. Fortunately, strict safety procedures and technologically sophisticated equipment used in the offshore search for oil have resulted in very few spill incidents at the many drilling and production sites in the Gulf of Mexico.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the founding members of Clean Gulf Associates:

Amerada Hess Corporation, Amoco Production Co., Atlantic Richfield Co. (BP), Belco Oil & Gas Corp., Burmah Oil Development Inc. (Phillips Petroleum Company), Chevron Oil Co. (ChevronTexaco), Cities Service Oil Co. (Occidental Petroleum Co.), Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation (Dominion Exploration & Prod.), Continental Oil Company/Conoco, Dixilyn, Exchange Oil & Gas Corp. (Williams Gas Pipeline Transco), Forest Oil Corporation, General American Oil Co. of Texas (Phillips Petroleum Company), Gulf Oil Company (ChevronTexaco), Humble Oil Co., Mobil Oil Corp., Superior Oil Co., Trans Ocean Oil Inc. (ExxonMobil), Hunt Oil Co., Kerr-McGee Corp., Ocean Drilling & Exploration Co. (Murphy Oil Corp.), Oil & Gas Futures Inc. of Texas, Pennzoil Company (Devon Energy), Phillips Petroleum Company, Placid Oil Co. (Hunt Petroleum Corp.), Shell Oil Co., Signal Oil & Gas Co. (Phillips Petroleum Company), Skelly Oil Co. (ChevronTexaco), Southern Natural Gas Co., (Southern Natural Gas an El Paso Energy Company), Sun Oil Company (Kerr-McGee Corp.), Tenneco (ChevronTexaco), Texaco, Inc. (ChevronTexaco), Union Oil of California/UNOCAL.

Also recognizing the Pioneering efforts of Halliburton for their role in assisting the CGA in successfully implementing the Clean Gulf Program.

In the early days in the offshore industry, workers were transported to platforms or drilling rigs by boat. Offshore facilities were usually equipped with a knotted rope suspended from an overhead beam. Once the boat was alongside the structure, each person would try to grab the knotted rope when the boat was on the crest of a wave and swing over to the boat landing. This was a tricky maneuver and resulted in a number of accidents and serious injuries.

In 1955, Billy Pugh developed his "Billy Pugh Net" for safe transfer of personnel between boats and platforms/rigs by crane. The Billy Pugh Net gained acceptance very quickly and is still the standard of the industry. The Billy Pugh Co. also developed other personnel safety devices including flotation work vests and litters. They also developed the recovery nets used to retrieve Apollo astronauts from the ocean in emergencies.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

Billy Pugh

Billy Pugh Co., Inc.

Safety for personnel and the environment is a major concern of the international offshore industry. Although the need for greater safety was recognized since the early 50s, safety was typically viewed as a local problem. In the 1970s the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) developed and implemented a multi-prong strategy to ensure a safer workplace on rigs and facilities. The program resulted in a 96% reduction in serious drilling accidents on the US Continental shelf alone. In the 25 years from 1977 to 2002, the serious accident rate per 200,000 man-hours worked has plummeted from 11.83 to 0.50. IADC Safety Committees have worked diligently to improve industry attitudes toward safety, and build commitments for a safer workplace for all. In addition IADC volunteers have developed numerous practical rigsite tools aimed at fostering safe behavior by workers. To increase buy-in at the rigsite, IADC developed a Rig Safety Recognition Program though which member companies could recognize exemplary safety performance by rig crews. In 1991, then-Chairman, Alain Roger of Sedco Forex, gave IADC a bold challenge to reduce industry accidents by half in 5 years. The industry more than met his challenge, cutting overall industry accidents per 200,000 man-hours from 3.43 to 1.40. Offshore the accident rate was slashed from 2.32 to 1.02. Also during the 1990s, IADC introduced two landmark training programs. Each has established firm industry-defined benchmarks for training and IADC accredits institutions that meet or exceed the program’s tough requirements. Since their introduction in 1994, RIG PASS and WellCAP have certified 91,000 workers and accredited numerous well-control training programs worldwide. WellCAP schools operate in 240 locations.

Member companies of IADC and a greater number of dedicated individuals have contributed to this vital effort. Their achievements benefited from the strong support and cooperation of the operating companies. The implementation of IADC safety programs worldwide has saved countless workers from injury and has protected valuable resources and equipment from damage or loss.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following organization that contributed to the development of the offshore industry:

International Association of Drilling Contractors

Margaret McMillan, founder and president of McMillan Offshore Survival Technology, has been involved in aquatics as a competitor, teacher, trainer and program innovator for many years. She is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of sea survival technology. Before forming her company Ms. McMillan was a professor and coordinator of women’s physical education and assistant dean of women. She earned her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Texas and has done advanced study at the University of Southern California.

Through her efforts, thousands of offshore oil workers, helicopter pilots, government employees, law enforcement officers, corporate executives, barge and dock personnel, power boat operators and air medics have been trained. In addition, Ms. McMillan has consulted with sea survival experts in the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, the U.K. Royal Navy, and the Russian government.

As a result of her pioneering efforts in aquatic safety and survival at sea training programs, Ms. McMillan has been the recipient of the following awards and honors:

The U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Service Award                         

The Gulf Coast Safety and Training Group’s highest honor, the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award,

National Cooperation in Aquatics, National Honor Award

U.S. Marine Safety Association’s first Annual Safety Award

Ms. McMillan has contributed to improvements in workvests, life jackets, and inflatable life vests. She spearheaded the development of the Marine Survival Training Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and served as a consultant to that center. She was a founding member of the International Association for Sea Survival Training and is now an honorary lifetime member in that organization, as well as the U.S. Marine Safety Association.

Recognizing the following individual that contributed to the development of this technology:

Margaret McMillan

On 6 July 1988, gas condensate ignited on Occidental Petroleum’s Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea. In a brief 22 minutes, 167 of the 229 people onboard were killed in what is characterized as the most deadly disaster in offshore oil industry history.

Lord Cullen of Whitekirk, one of Scotland’s most-respected jurists, led the public inquiry. Originally charged with determining what happened on Piper Alpha, Lord Cullen proactively undertook to develop recommendations to prevent recurrence of such a disaster. Wisely rejecting a prescriptive approach, he developed comprehensive objectives and made 106 specific recommendations to initiate a new and improved safety regime.

Ultimately, anyone wishing to operate a fixed or mobile installation offshore UK was obliged to submit a Safety Case. These are documents providing full details for managing Health, Safety and Environment issues. Because a goal-setting approach was used, operators are able to choose the best methods available to achieve the objective. As a result, reportable offshore industry accidents had declined more than 75% by 2001.

Most importantly, Lord Cullen’s report reassured all stakeholders, the oil industry, the UK Government and its citizens that offshore oil and gas operations could be conducted safely if a rational, goal-oriented approach were implemented, together with effective application of technology and stringent inspection procedures.

For his exceptional attention to detail, perseverance, foresight and integrity that has resulted in a “step-change” in offshore safety performance, the Offshore Energy Center recognizes:

The Right Honorable Lord Cullen of Whitekirk

Companies and individuals manage risk by developing technology and procedures to minimize it, and then by purchasing insurance to protect them against losses. So it has been with the expansion into the offshore frontier. Without insurance offshore opportunities would have been developed at a much slower pace―some prospects may never have been drilled.

But underwriters must have some idea of risk before they can reasonably write insurance coverage. Their lack of experience in the risks associated with the unusual fleet of exploration, drilling, and production units that took to sea, and the gradual learning curve by the offshore unit designers on air gap etc. resulted in substantial losses, the first from Hurricane Betsy in 1965. Then, following losses like the Bruyard, the Sea Gem, the Maverick and the Bluewater I, a moratorium on writing rig insurance was declared. 

Determining risks on mobile drilling units within this contracted market was difficult and time consuming. Moreover, it was hard to see how capacity might grow to cover the higher values associated with the developing breed of jackup and semi-submersible rigs. The market also was faced with requests to provide coverage on higher values for fixed offshore platforms in the North Sea.   

A milestone event for making rig insurance available was the formation of the London Master Drilling Rig Contract, an agreement to insure rigs on specified terms, rates and conditions that provided a larger capacity (initially for values up to US $10 million) than would otherwise have been available. The idea was originally conceived by several insurance firms and was established as a line slip facility available to the five leading brokers engaged in energy business. The purpose of the contract was to bind the market behind the agreement of six leading insurers to one declaration, these six being considered specialists in the energy business. By this means it was possible to build capacity to the maximum amount available in the market at the time. Coverage was thus available for physical damage exposures of offshore drilling units during construction, movements and operating. Key underwriters learned the offshore business in order to write risks for their clients on behalf of their syndicates and companies, and key brokers brought those insureds to the table. The London Master Energy Line Slip (which became the name of the facility) survived until June 1992. At its zenith it offered a capacity in excess of US $1 billion any one structure.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

London Underwriters: Henry Chester, Gale Coles, David Hill, Harold Hill and John Oliver.  London Brokers: Mike Adams, George Stewart and Peter Wright. American Brokers: Joseph Blades, Tom Carey, L.K. Giffin, Russell Sammis and George Wells.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were three offshore events which focused the attention of the US Geological Survey (USGS) on tightening the regulations for offshore safety affecting the petroleum production offshore industry. These were the Unocal Santa Barbara blowout, the Chevron Main Pass platform fire, and the Shell Bay Marchand platform fire. In 1971, a report was prepared by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) for the USGS entitled “Applicability of NASA Contract Quality Management and Failure Mode & Effect Analysis (FMEA) Procedures to the US OCS Oil and Lease Management Program.” USGS also contracted General Electric (GE) and Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) to analyze several offshore platform facilities. In May 1972 the USGS published the “OCS Lease Management Study” stating that design specifications for a safety program be implemented by the industry and that hazard analysis should be part of the application for new platforms and associated production equipment. The USGS published in the Federal Register the intent to require an FMEA analysis for each new installation as well as major modifications to existing installations.

In 1972 the API formed the Offshore Safety & Anti-Pollution (OSAPE) committee to be a part of the API Standards Committee. The chairman of this committee was Larry Smith, Engineering Manager of Shell in New Orleans. One of the first jobs of the committee was to respond to the Federal Register notice. An OOC technical sub-committee, chaired by Ken Arnold, Offshore Division Mechanical Engineer for Shell, was tasked with studying the previous reports from NASA, GE and SWRI.

Ken presented a paper titled “A Systems Approach to Offshore Facilities Design” to the 1973 API Division of Production Annual Meeting in Denver. The techniques, as shown in Ken’s paper, were expanded by the OSAPE 14C Committee and were published in 1974 as API RP 14C. RP 14C has been updated periodically since 1974 and has been adopted in concept with minor revisions as an ISO International Standard.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that pioneered the development of these regulations and associated practices:

Ken Arnold, Bob McConnell, Larry Smith, American Petroleum Institute, Shell

The industry has applied its considerable ingenuity and determination to protect the environment so that oil and gas wells can be safely constructed offshore. An example of this effort is the development of the Mobile Bay area, offshore Alabama. Zero-discharge means exactly what it says nothing will be allowed to fall into the sea after it has touched the rig. This includes indigenous rainwater. Also included in the rules are 3 categories of solid discharge industrial waste, sanitary waste and wellbore cuttings and 7 categories of liquid discharge. Besides weather runoff, these include cooling water, sanitary water, waste oil, drilling fluids, and machinery deck and mud processing drainage.

Meeting these exacting requirements were rigs contracted by the developer, ExxonMobil. These included the Rowan 4, Penrod 65 (now Noble Bill Jennings), GlobalSantaFe High Island IV, Penrod Portal 202 (now Noble Joe Alford), Chiles Seabee (now Noble Tom Jobe) and the Penrod Prober 94 (now Ensco 94).  It should be noted that in addition to operating under zero-discharge rules, the rigs had to contend with dangerous hydrogen-sulfide gas, necessitating stringent safety regulations for personnel and equipment.

The State of Alabama should be justifiably proud of its role in developing the zero-discharge regulations, and the success it has achieved in safely producing hydrocarbons from beneath Mobile Bay. ExxonMobil is to be commended for its role in proving that the petroleum industry can safely drill and produce offshore while protecting the environment.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

The State of Alabama, Chiles Drilling (now Noble Corporation), ExxonMobil, Global Marine (now GlobalSantaFe), Penrod, Rowan Companies, Transworld Drilling (now Noble Corporation) 

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of Interior was established in 1983, following its predecessor, the U.S. Geological Survey Conservation Division, established in 1954, and is responsible for issuing and implementing regulations for the design, construction and operation of all offshore structures on the United States Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  In 1969 and 1970, the Conservation Division, under Richard Krahl’s direction, revised technical requirements and investigation capabilities via new recommended practices for oil spill response and personnel training programs for drilling rigs, fixed platforms, wells and production control.  In 1977, the agency started conducting its own research and development on safety and pollution prevention.  This effort led to the creation of the Technology Assessment and Research (TA&R) Program, which via funding has led to more than 600 technology and research projects of which over a third were joint industry projects.  These projects and programs have gained worldwide acceptance, with active industry participation, leading to further efforts on risk and reliability workshops enhancing worldwide offshore industry and the USA’s energy needs.   With ongoing cooperation with the industry, the MMS, via Elmer “Bud” Danenberger, longtime Chief of the Engineering and Operations Division, developed and managed the TA&R, directing the reopening of the National Oil Spill Research Test Facility (OHMSETT), and organized the International Regulators’ Forum. Through its existence the MMS and its predecessor have in cooperation with the petroleum industry established very high standards which have been copied by coastal governments and many foreign countries.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that contributed to this technology:

Elmer “Bud” Danenberger, Thomas Dunaway, Felix Dyhrkopp, John Gregory, Richard Krahl,

Dr. Charles Smith, American Petroleum Institute (API), International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)

In the mid 1960’s, DuPont developed an in-house work place safety program to prevent injuries by increasing safety awareness and encouraging communication between each other about safety. The program was designated as the Safety Training Observation Program or “STOP” and proved to be highly effective. When DuPont acquired Conoco, they implemented it in the oilfield and in turn Conoco started requiring their employees, vendors and contractors to use it. Founded on a behavior-based safety approach, together with self-study by all in the work place including supervisors and management, it soon showed significant results in reduced unsafe practices, non-lost-time incidents and especially lost-time incidents. Since the program is generic in nature, it was easily spread throughout the oilfield with Conoco leading the way to even non Conoco suppliers, vendors and contractors.

Amos Smith, working for Conoco at that time, was a leader in bringing the program to the oil and gas industry. He participated in the program in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980’s and then implemented it in Conoco’s affiliated companies in Dubai during the mid 80’s, and in Venezuela in the mid 90’s. Both programs were effective in improving and maintaining safety performance of the units.

Since then, the program has been adopted by thousands of companies and government organizations worldwide, resulting in many prevented injuries and loss of life, not to mention the impact in real dollars and cents.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that contributed to this technology:

David Branch, George Brown and Amos Smith Conoco (now ConocoPhillips) and DuPont.

Following the tragic destruction of the Piper Alpha in July 1988, a public inquiry into the incident was led by Lord Cullen of Whitekirk. The report included comprehensive objectives and made more than a hundred recommendations for a new approach to safety – commonly referred to as a Safety Case. Ultimately, anyone wishing to operate a fixed or mobile installation offshore UK was obliged to submit a Safety Case. These are documents providing full details for managing Health, Safety and Environmental issues.

After the publication of the Cullen Report, drilling contractors operating on the UK Continental Shelf came together under the auspices of the IADC North Shore Chapter to work on a set of guidelines. The precursor to the present Guidelines, the 1992 IADC Preparing a MODU Safety Case, states that the intent was that “[IADC] should commission a workbook to guide member companies through the necessary steps in the production of a Safety Case. The approach was to set out a methodology and the objectives to be achieved to guide users in what subjects need to be addressed and how they might be effectively organized into a Safety Case. It was soon recognized that the initial Guidelines were too focused on satisfying the particular concerns of an individual regulation within an individual country and would benefit not only from a more holistic approach to management, but also by incorporation of concepts put forward by other regulators toward the goal of more effective HSE management. Thus, the present form of the Guidelines was adopted and issued in 2003.

Today, the IADC HSE Case Guidelines are the leading authority for constructing Safety Cases on a worldwide basis. They are utilized by both Contractors and Operators around the world. As part of IADC and its members’ commitment to safety, the Guidelines are available free through the IADC’s website.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the organization that contributed to this technology:

International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)

In 1990 the National Research Council’s Marine Board submitted a report to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) concluding that the MMS’s prescriptive approach to regulating offshore operations had forced industry into a compliance mentality.  This compliance mentality was not conducive to effectively identifying potential operational risks or developing comprehensive accident mitigation.  The report recommended that a less prescriptive and more systematic approach to managing safety in operations was needed.

In 1992, MMS published their intent to develop a Safety and Environmental management Systems (SEMS) rule for managing safety in a way that recognizes that safety is largely dependent on proper human behavior.  SEMS would require operators to manage safety taking dependent on proper human behavior.  SEMS would require operators to manage safety taking into account management principles of planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating.

As a result, in 1993 API RP-75 (SEMP) was developed in cooperation between MMS and API as a guideline for operators to meet the objectives of the proposed SEMS rule.  At the same time, API also produced a companion document, FP-14J,  a guideline for safety design and hazards analysis. In 1994, MMS formally recognized implementation of RP-75 as meeting the spirit and intent of SEMS. Rather than making SEMP mandatory, MMS asked operators to voluntarily adopt it.  MSS in cooperation with the Offshore Operators Committee held a series of public meetings, seminars, and workshops to promote and encourage implementation.

In 2006, based on incident investigation findings and performance reviews with operators, MMS identified a need for performance improvement in four areas: hazards analysis, operating procedures, mechanical integrity, and management of change.  These areas were part of RP75.  After several meetings, both the MMS and industry decided it was best to adopt RP75 as a whole rather than some of its elements in isolation. On October 15, 2010, MMS published 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart S – Safety and Environmental Management Systems.   This Rule incorporates by reference, and makes mandatory, RP 75, Third Edition.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that contributed to this technology:



Ken Arnold, Henry (Hank) Bartholomew, Virgil Harris, Charles (Chuck) Liles,  John Rullman, Alan Spackman, Peter Velez, Robert (Bob) Waldrup, and Jeff Wiese, API (American Petroleum Institute), Exxon (now ExxonMobil),  IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors), M.M.S. (now BSEE), Newfield Exploration, OOC, Paragon Engineering Services and Shell.

Initially, floating rigs were positioned by an array of anchors and cables. As water depths increased, these became uneconomical to install. In 1983, Shell selected the Sonat Offshore Discoverer Seven Seas with its Honeywell DP control system to conduct drilling in 7500 ft. of water off the East Coast of the US. Loss of position in those depths was economically prohibitive, and the risk of a possible oil spill was unacceptable. Because of these risks, Shell instituted a NASA-developed safety program called FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis) raising the odds of failure to four years.  In 1991, Sonat Offshore working with Simrad, further upgraded the DP system for the Discoverer 534, a sister rig using Simrad’s modular redundant control system to further increase failure possibility to over five years. By 1995, DP had become universally accepted.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that contributed to this technology:

Q. Wayne Dean, Peter A. Fougere, Robert P. Herrmann, Dr. Nils Albert Jenssen, Howard L. Shatto, Henry Van Calcar, and Carl Wickizer

Honeywell Offshore Division (now Wartsila Marine Solutions), Shell, Simrad Inc. (now Kongsberg Maritime), and Sonat Offshore Drilling (now Transocean).

Human Factors Engineering is a specialized discipline that focuses on human behavioral (i.e., social, hysiological, psychological) and physical (i.e., size, strength, endurance) capabilities and limitations to produce designs and management systems which improve human systems interactions to improve safety. HFE is an enabler of Health Safety Security and Environment (HSSE) performance. In the early 1990s Shell became convinced that designs in the Gulf of Mexico could benefit from HFE reviews by individuals schooled in the technology. Many changes were made; most notably to labelling, stairways, ladders, access platforms and control room design.

HFE reviews have resulted in an estimated reduction in life cycle costs of 3 to 6% and a significant reduction in accidents. Taking HFE into account assures the design matches the capabilities of individuals using the equipment. This increases safety by making it more likely that individuals, while under stress,

will take the appropriate action and be capable of responding quickly.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that contributed to this technology:

Frank Amato, Mike Curole, Dan Godfrey, Denise McCafferty and Gerry Miller

G. E. Miller and Associates, Paragon Engineering Services (now AMEC Foster Wheeler)

and Shell.

In February 1982, the semisubmersible MODU Ocean Ranger drilling off the coast of Newfoundland during a severe storm, capsized and sank resulting in the loss of all 84 crewmen. The OceanRanger was the largest and most advanced MODU at that time and its loss was of significant worldwide concern to governments, regulatory and certification agencies and most especially to the oil and gas industry. As a result, a Royal Canadian Commission was formed to investigate the incident. Two reports were issued in 1985. They had significant and immediate impact on the design of MODUs, as well as their regulation, classification and safety at sea. Other incidents had occurred before, but this investigation and recommendations centered collectively for the first time on Safety at Sea. It included the entire scope of marine technology, regulations, their enforcement and safety at sea. The methodology of the investigation served as a model for future incidents such as the Piper Alpha incident investigated by Lord Cullen in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico Macondo incident. The recommendations also had a significant influence on all offshore vessels and structures outside the offshore oil and gas industry.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following individuals and organizations that

contributed to this technology:

Ewan Curlett, David Grenville, T.A. Hickman, Bevin Ledrew, Ralph Loomis

and Derek Muggeridge

Canadian Ocean Ranger Royal Commission