Recent developments:
Informatie over Elgin incident
For up-to-date information on the Elgin incident on the English part of the North Sea (Total UK) please see: http://www.elgin.total.com/elgin/home.aspx
Position Paper on the EU Commission proposal for Regulation of safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities (COM (2011)688 Final)
NOGEPA, IRO, FNV Bondgenoten and De Unie recognize the Commission’s efforts in reducing the risks of a major incident in Union waters and to limit the consequences should such an incident nonetheless occur. Safety and responsible operations are fundamental to our business and the protection of our people is our most important objective. We are committed to (1) implement the highest safety and environmental protection standards and to (2) continuously improve our safety systems and processes.
Download the Position paper on the Offshore Safety. Click here for the Dutch version.
Lessons learned of Macondo
The Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010 triggered a worldwide focus on safety in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Also in the North Sea area, including the Dutch sector. All stakeholders in the industry felt the need to understand what had happened in the Gulf of Mexico, learn lessons from it and, where necessary, initiate improvements to even further reduce the chance of such a major accident from happening in our own province.
Fourteen NOGEPA working groups, in cooperation with the State Supervision of Mines, developed guidelines for the oil and gas activities in the Netherlands and offshore. These Guidelines were placed on the NOGEPA website (download center).
The latest edition of Aardgas Update is devoted to the follow-up to the Macondo incident: www.aardgas-update.nl.
Download NOGEPA’s Position Paper on the follow-up on Macondo:
English: Safety in the Dutch Oil and Gas Industry
Dutch: Veiligheid in de Nederlandse Offshore Olie en Gasindustrie
NOGEPA Fact sheet on fracking
NOGEPA prepared a fact sheet on fracking, explaining the process, chemicals used, properties, risk management and regulations on the use of chemicals. Fracking is a technique that improves the permeability of oil and gas reservoirs, enhancing the flow of oil and/or gas to the well. Fracking makes it possible to produce more gas from existing reservoirs, where production would cease without the application of this technique. Fracking also allows to add new reservoirs to the portfolio, where production would not be technically or economically feasible without fracking. This supports governemt policies to make optimal use of resources.
The fact sheet explains the process of fracking. What is it? What chemicals are used? Etc. Fracking activities are carried out in accordance with relevant regulations (not only REACH).Exposure of personnel to fracking chemicals is avoided by applying occupational health regulations. The risk of fractures reaching ground water carrying formations is in fact excluded. This fact sheet explains how this is avoided.
Dowload the fact sheet here: