2013 no 2 DIALOGUE A JOURNAL FROM THE PETROLEUM SAFETY AUTHORITY NORWAY CAN WE PLAN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE? 22 JULY IN AMENAS NOKAS SECTION 9-3 CAN WE PLAN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE? DIALOG UE THE UNTHINKABLE Emergency preparedness is a key term for everyone involved with both security and safety in the petroleum sector. Players must have effective systems in place to prevent and respond to hazards and accidents which could result from their everyday activities. But they must also be prepared to deal with possible conscious attacks – 4 10 terrorism and deliberate assaults. No pat definitions exists for either security or safety. Incidents occasionally occur which nobody imagined possible and which no scenario had taken into account. Such events can overturn established truths and pose deep challenges for society. SECURITY The PSA has been given responsibility in 2013 for “security section” 9-3 of the Petroleum Activities Act, covering emergency preparedness 26 against deliberate attacks. That requires the industry to adopt and maintain measures to secure its facilities. This issue accordingly takes a look at three watershed events of recent years – the Nokas robbery in Stavanger during 2004, CONTENTS the terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011, and the BEING BETTER PREPARED 4-7 hostage drama at Algeria’s In Amenas facility in 2013. We introduce some of those who have sought to establish what CHANGING THREATS 8-9 failed, and present their analyses of what went wrong. They make 12 PREPAREDNESS A PRIORITY 10-11 it clear that work on risk and preparedness cannot be confined to particular industries. Everyone has something to learn. LIGHT ON A DARK DAY 12-15 RESPONDING TO THE UNFORESEEN 16-19 DISCUSSION Dialogue is intended to contribute to openness and discussion GETTING TO GRIPS WITH RISK 20-21 on important issues and safety challenges in Norway’s petroleum BLACK SWANS AND SAFETY 22-25 industry. Some of the challenges which urgently need to be overcome are to found far to the north on the NCS, in the Barents NOW OR NEVER 26-29 Sea. This issue asks whether operations can be sufficiently safe 16 31 NEW PAGE BUT THE SAME CHAPTER 30-33 when they are extended ever further from land and into areas with big geographical and climate challenges. STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP 34-35 BARENTS SEA BRIDGEHEAD 36-39 Enjoy! ANSWERING BACK 40-41 ØYVIND MIDTTUN Editor 34 36 FRONT COVER: ALEXANDRA BECH GJØRV (PHOTO: EMILE ASHLEY) 3 DIALOGUE PSA 2013 CAN WE PLAN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE? BEING BETTER PREPARED Security has become an issue for Statoil’s top management after a terrorist strike on an Algerian gas field, with full attention being paid to improving preparedness against deliberate attacks. BY ØYVIND MIDTTUN ut greater focus on this area will not be at the expense of work on health, safety and the en- vironment, stresses Jannicke Hilland, head of corporate security at the Norwegian oil company. Forty people died in the assault on the In Amenas facility in the Sahara desert during January 2013, including five Statoil employees. “We owe it to everyone who lost their life in this incident to learn its lessons and strengthen ourselves as a company,” says Hilland, who started her present job in September. The In Amenas attack exposed serious weaknesses in defences against such aggression. æ “WORK ON SAFETY AND SECURITY will become clearer and more visible,” says Jannicke Hilland, head of corporate security at Statoil. (Photo: Helge Hansen/Statoil) 4 5 DIALOGUE PSA 2013 CAN WE PLAN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE? Areas where the general level of security need- new type of risk the company had not been developing a good management system, WORKED. “It’s important to note the things ed to be enhanced were documented both by sufficiently aware of before. defining requirements, and ensuring that it which functioned well during the In Amenas Statoil’s own audit and by an external inquiry. “It may have existed, but we hadn’t quite has the necessary expertise and capacity in incident,” she adds. “I was personally present at taken the threat properly on board – as a the security field. the centre for relatives we opened in Bergen. IMPROVEMENT. Hilland’s new job makes her nation, as a company and as individuals.” “It made me proud to see how the organi- responsible for the major improvement drive Asked whether Statoil employees have EXPENSE. A key question is whether the all- sation functioned in such demanding circum- now being implemented by Statoil, and which more reason to be worried now than before, out effort to strengthen security will be pur- stances. It was professional and efficient. In is already well under way. she denies that it has become more dangerous sued at the expense of the company’s work Amenas was a terrorist attack, but we used One step has been to elevate security into to work in the petroleum industry. on operational safety. the same resources which would have been a separate staff entity at corporate level, in “But it’s important to be conscious of this Asked whether a balance can be struck, mobilised for a safety incident.” charge of both traditional safety and security/ risk. The threat isn’t static, so we must have a Hilland promises that there is no cause for emergency preparedness. dynamic approach to our work on security. concern. “Safety work will be maintained at TRANSFERRED. Hilland is also concerned “Work on safety and security will become “We don’t want people to be frightened, its previous level. to ensure that the experience acquired by clearer and more visible,” Hilland explains. but we want all of us to be more aware, and “It’s important that we as an organisation Statoil can be transferred to other companies, “The organisational change has been made to that doesn’t apply only to terrorist actions like achieve this even when making such exten- including players in the Norwegian oil and gas increase attention from top management. the one we saw at In Amenas. sive efforts to strengthen security. We must industry. “Improvement efforts aimed at security and “Security risk is just as much about com- and will manage that. “This problem isn’t confined to In Amenas preparedness have already been under way for puters and telecommunications, document “We’re pumping in resources and strength- or Algeria, and it’s not specific to us,” she some time, and have been reinforced by the management, how we behave while travelling, ening security, but this won’t, can’t and points out. “Increased preparedness is neces- findings of the In Amenas investigation.” communication and so on.” mustn’t be at the expense of our other safety sary for the whole industry. She reports that security staffing has been work.” “We’ve accordingly initiated a collaboration increased, with additional expertise recruited. BENEFIT. Statoil will seek to benefit from She emphasises that both security and with other companies, government agencies That applies not only to the company’s foreign solutions and results achieved in the tradi- safety form part of Statoil’s overall safety and organisations such as the Norwegian Oil operations but also to other business areas. tional safety field in its efforts to strengthen concept. and Gas Association.” “We’re appointing dedicated personnel to security, Hilland says. be responsible for security in all parts of the “An important job for us now is to carry our STRENGTHEN. The In Amenas report business, in addition to our central corporate safety-related expertise, systems and culture identified five areas where improvements resources.” over into the work we’re doing to become could strengthen the company’s overall But the improvement work But the improvement work is not only more secure. ability to handle security risks. is not only about providing about providing additional resources: “It’s also “At one level, safety and security are two While the first focuses specifically on In additional resources: a matter of raising awareness in the organisa- different things – the first involves risks found Amenas and other facilities in Algeria, the “It’s also a matter of raising tion – the attitude each of us has to security. within, while the other is about external others deal with general concerns – organisa- All our employees have a responsibility for threats or attacks. tion and resources, risk management systems, awareness in the organisation safety and security.” “Nevertheless, the way we as an organisa- crisis preparedness/response and collabora- – the attitude each of us has tion work with these two aspects has certain tion/networks. to security. EYE-OPENER. The terrorist attack in Algeria features in common – the framework and the “These recommendations are relevant for proved an eye-opener, both for Statoil and systems. We can benefit from much of this.” all parts of our business, including here in for many others. Hilland says it presented a Statoil’s improvement efforts include Norway,” Hilland emphasises. æ 6 7 DIALOGUE PSA 2013 CAN WE PLAN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE? An acknowledgement that security efforts throughout Statoil needed strengthening came from chief executive Helge Lund when the In Amenas investigation report was published in September. The company’s ability to iden- facing a changing array of threats. tify and respond to the risk of “The sign of a strong safety culture is the deliberate attacks was heavily ability to understand and handle changes. criticised in the findings, which We must therefore constantly update our risk identified a number of areas assessments and adopt new measures when where improvements were needed. necessary.” Running to almost 80 pages, the report He emphasised that attention has primar- was produced by a team led by Torgeir ily been concentrated on operational safety.