There are a number of dangers to offshore oil and gasoline personnel in 2024, Aaron Roth, a principal and head of federal technique on the Chertoff Group, who has led maritime interdiction operations within the Persian Gulf and Pink Sea as a member of U.S. Coast Guard Deployable Specialised Forces, outlined to Rigzone.
One among these is terrorism, Roth highlighted.
“Given the Houthis actions, copycats are at all times attainable,” he instructed Rigzone.
“Different terrorist teams may see transport as a possibility, particularly oil/gasoline shippers and rigs given its precise and symbolic ties to the Center East (and the West). We’ve got seen them be targets up to now,” he added.
One other danger is “nation-state competitors”, in response to Roth.
“Primarily over sovereignty and vitality/pure assets,” he stated.
“The South China Sea (SCS) is essentially the most distinguished instance, however the Arctic may be aggressive for vitality assets. We’ve seen firsthand what can occur within the SCS as China exerts its perceived sovereignty in opposition to different nations,” he added.
Piracy was one other danger flagged by Roth, who stated the apply has “sophisticated the maritime area since we first set sail”.
“It would proceed to be a gentle drum beat globally, particularly west of Africa and the horn of Africa,” he added.
“Shippers and the worldwide maritime neighborhood have performed a exceptional job of stamping down the risk, but it surely nonetheless exists and won’t go away,” he continued.
Roth additionally flagged criminality as a danger.
“Illicit commerce of medication, individuals, and cash will proceed to plague the maritime trade, and the vitality sector will not be immune,” he stated.
“They might be much less of a goal, however they supply provide traces for felony actors,” he added.
The Chertoff Group head additionally highlighted cyber dangers.
“Ransomware and different malicious cyber threats will proceed to bother the maritime neighborhood, particularly the vitality sector, which has a bigger risk panorama that different maritime communities,” he instructed Rigzone.
“The worldwide neighborhood has been considerably sluggish in elevating the bar for cyber protections, particularly given different dangers, which raises the specter for extra cyber associated incidents,” he added.
“The maritime vitality sector has an enormous variety of vulnerabilities that may be exploited in IT and OT. For consciousness, the U.S. has not too long ago issued further steering for cyber protections within the maritime area,” he continued.
Roth additionally famous to Rigzone that, “by way of the overall risk panorama”, he thinks vitality stakeholders have “the next risk degree due to the worldwide influence that may be felt by impacting the vitality provide chain”.
“Additional, there’s a major symbolic facet as effectively given the western ties to vitality demand. Different, extra radical environmental teams additionally goal the maritime vitality sector slightly regularly,” he added.
“Briefly, vitality will be considered to have extra enemies that the remainder of the maritime neighborhood,” he continued.
Roth additionally flagged fundamental operations as a danger.
“I’d be lacking a obvious concern if I didn’t point out that the best and most important each day danger to this neighborhood is simply fundamental, on a regular basis operations,” he stated.
“Dwelling and dealing within the maritime area is inherently extra harmful than that of many different communities, and vitality brings much more problems concerning security. Sturdy security regimes are crucial to safeguard those that reside and work on the seas,” he added.
Scarlett Suarez, an intelligence analyst at Dryad International, instructed Rigzone that personnel working offshore in oil and gasoline operations don’t have any particular danger profile projected for 2024.
Suarez added, nevertheless, that an space of concern is the Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche area being liable to theft and petty theft. Suarez additionally added that, within the Mediterranean, operations off the coast of Israel and Gaza “are in danger because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas struggle” however famous that “no particular risk has been reported nor have the offshore platforms been focused”.
The Dryad analyst additionally acknowledged that Venezuela’s dispute with Guyana over offshore oil/gasoline exploitation rights is ongoing however stated it’s unlikely to turn out to be a risk to personnel.
Excessive Distant Places
When Rigzone requested Worldwide SOS concerning the largest danger to offshore oil and gasoline personnel in 2024, Lars Petersen, a regional medical director on the firm, highlighted “excessive distant areas”.
“Excessive distant areas are websites the place medical evacuation to a hospital can by no means be achieved inside 4 hours, even in the very best of circumstances,” Petersen instructed Rigzone.
“Examples embody seismic/drilling vessels working lots of of nautical miles from shore, or these working from bases that are themselves distant (e.g. the Arctic). These websites could also be out of most rotary wing plane flying vary, and evacuation occasions might generally exceed 24 hours,” he added.
“Distant areas current many challenges to the well being of workers who work in them. Within the occasion of an sickness or damage, an evacuation would take a for much longer time than will be anticipated in an city setting,” he continued.
“Throughout this era, the affected person’s situation might deteriorate resulting in incapacity, and even dying,” he went on to state.
Petersen instructed Rigzone that distant areas are additionally related to increased dangers “e.g. sizzling or chilly extremes in deserts or polar areas, or infectious ailments in tropical areas – restricted entry to fundamental requirements – e.g. clear water -, and restricted provides – on account of logistical challenges of re-supply”.
“Distant areas are additionally usually related to restricted communication choices (e.g. the dearth of phone traces, cell community, satellite tv for pc communications or web),” he added.
“This implies the next chance of hurt to well being (until applicable preventive controls are put in place). The results of a complication or the situation worsening are excessive, until mitigations are put in place,” he continued.
Petersen instructed Rigzone that working in these areas current a mess of well being challenges, “together with important delays to remedy, restricted medical experience onshore, gear, provides and communications”.
“Dangers will be stored as little as moderately practicable, by implementing excessive distant healthcare methods. They embody danger assessments, medical emergency response planning, stringent medical assessments for health to work, office well being promotion, meals security administration techniques, healthcare practitioner competency necessities, distant medical assist, telemedicine, cautious number of (further) gear and provides,” Petersen added.
“Collectively, these methods work to stop well being problems, optimize care throughout switch, reduce pointless medical evacuations, and facilitate crucial ones. Implementation of those methods protects the well being of distant location employees’, at a degree that’s comparable with their non-remote counterparts,” he went on to state.
To contact the writer, e-mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com