Advancing Offshore Safety

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program was pleased to host a panel discussion highlighting key issues on the topic of safety in offshore drilling. 

Following the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, there was an immediate and sharp focus on offshore safety and the need for raising the bar on safety in offshore operations.  A new Drilling Safety Rule was promulgated by the government, as well as a Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS) Rule mandating comprehensive focus on ways to reduce risks in offshore operations.  Safety is a shared responsibility of both the private sector and government, and offshore operators must address safety issues on a continuing basis as they move into more technical challenging environments – in deepwater, ultra deepwater, and the Arctic.  

But questions remain about how to turn this aspiration into concrete steps forward. How are the research advances on safety issues – and the lessons learned from operational experience – shared between companies, and if such experience is not shared, why not?  Is such information shared with the government and/or are there obstacles to doing so?  If so, how could those obstacles be overcome?

Panelists:
James Watson
Director, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Charlie Williams
Executive Director, Center for Offshore Safety

Svein Erik Eide
Vice President of Drilling and Well Technology, Statoil

Elgie Holstein
Senior Director for Strategic Planning, Environmental Defense Fund

Moderated by:
Michael R. Bromwich
Managing Principal, The Bromwich Group
Non-Resident Adivser, CSIS