Brent Bravo

In 2003, two contractors were tragically killed in one of the legs that support the Brent Bravo platform in the North Sea. Our internal investigation revealed that we fell short of the safety standards to which we aspire. We pleaded guilty to charges brought following an investigation by the UK Health & Safety Executive and were fined £900,000 in 2005.

After the tragedy we thoroughly reviewed all our North Sea offshore installations. In 2004, we launched a $1 billion programme to upgrade these operations.

We are working hard to change behaviour. For example, “Taking Responsibility” workshops are now run for staff and contractors, using actors to drive home the tragic consequences of working unsafely. A new “Deep Learning” programme has been introduced to help us understand the underlying cultural or structural causes of an accident and change the behaviour of key decision makers. “Deep Learning” sessions have been held for people working at Brent Bravo and for 400 staff across Exploration & Production in Europe. It has also been adopted and used by our downstream manufacturing business.

In 2006, the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the 2003 fatalities on Brent Bravo was completed. We accepted its findings, which identified areas where our systems had been ineffective and have taken actions to correct these problems. The Inquiry made no further recommendations for action.

Mars platform after repairs, April 2006.

Preparing for hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico

In 2005, the massive Mars platform was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. In May 2006, it returned to production. It was one of the last, and most technically spectacular, parts of our recovery effort after Katrina. We have used the knowledge gained from the Mars recovery to further improve the ability of our offshore equipment to withstand hurricanes and to reduce disruptions when equipment is damaged. Above water, most of the damage to Mars occurred when massive clamps holding part of the rig’s structure failed under sustained winds of 270 km per hour. Under water, the pipeline was cracked by the anchor of another company’s mobile drilling unit that had gone adrift.

In 2006, we installed re-designed clamp systems that are four times stronger, not only at Mars but, as a precaution, at all our platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. We are part of a joint industry project to tighten specifications for anchoring mobile drilling rigs during the hurricane season. In anticipation of future storms, we are improving our communications systems, increasing the number of helicopters and ships and spare parts we have on call, and working with others to find alternative ways to get oil to refineries safely when part of a pipeline network is damaged.