Safety and emergency preparedness in oil and gas industry : experience based on North Sea offshore platforms

Abstract

It is .anticipated that viable oil and gas Abstract: resources are present in Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone in the Indian Ocean. Offshore oil and gas exploration and production activities can nevertheless lead to formidable engineering challenges with severe safety repercussions. It is absolutely necessary to follow state of the art safety design practices with safety conscious management schemes. This article outlines the general structure of the safety and emergency preparedness practice used in North Sea oil and gas sector in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). Being one of the safest oil and gas industries in the world, it is expected that the outlined framework used in NCS can be adopted with necessary modifications to safeguard future offshore oil and gas activities in Sri Lanka. It is further emphasized that Sri Lanka needs to establish a solid regulatory framework to regulate, guide, and monitor petroleum activities within its waters.