New Tools, Old Tasks: Safety Implications of New Technologies and Work Processes for Integrated Operations in the Petroleum Industry

New Tools, Old Tasks explores how Integrated Operations (IO) will influence the safety of offshore drilling operations. The book is based on several years of practical experience combined with a research study on the safety of IO within the drilling domain. The overall objective of the book is to explore how safety can be understood in the change process of Integrated Operations, and to provide recommendations for how IO may be developed and implemented in a way that will benefit both safety and efficiency of the operations. A crucial thread throughout the book is that the understanding of normal work processes is key to understanding the conditions for safe operations. This is reflected in the book's structure and content; the nature of normal drilling operations is the focus, including how technologies and work processes are aligned to meet the dominating challenges of the industry (these challenges need not be directly linked to safety/risk). It is argued that the influence of IO on the safety of drilling operations depends more on how IO relates to the existing fundamental challenges of drilling operations than on the design and properties of the different IO technologies and work processes as such.

Table of Contents:
1: Introduction; 2: Drilling in Action: Two Short Stories; 3: A Brief Introduction to Integrated Operations; 4: Drilling for Oil and Gas 1; 5: Safety of Sociotechnical Systems and Sociotechnical Work; 6: Methodological Themes; 7: Integrated Drilling Operations as Sociotechnical Systems; 8: Articulation Work: Revisiting the Case of Mud Losses 1; 9: Chasing Shared Understanding: Revisiting the Case of Divergent Depth Measurements 1; 10: Challenging Controversies – A Prospective Analysis of the Implications of Integrated Operations; 11: New Tools, Old Tasks: Discussion and Conclusions

About the Author :
Torgeir K. Haavik is a researcher at NTNU Social Research in Trondheim, Norway. He holds a master's degree in geological engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (1995), a master's degree in social geography from NTNU (2003) and a PhD in the sociology of risk and safety from NTNU (2012). His professional experience includes more than three years working as a mud-logging geologist on offshore drilling rigs. He has published scientific articles in the topic of Integrated Operations and safety in the journals Cognition, Technology and Work and Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.

Review :
’The petroleum industry has spearheaded the use of advanced solutions in the shape of Integrated Operations. Understanding how a new technology affects both safety and efficiency requires a strong combination of engineering and social science. This book uses a thorough knowledge of modern offshore operations to discuss the central methodological issues, and illustrates how they can be used to solve the practical problems.’ Erik Hollnagel, Centre for Quality Improvement, Denmark ’This important book scrutinizes the practices and effects of integrated operations in relation to operational safety in the petroleum sector in general and for offshore drilling operations in particular. By drawing on a framework that integrates actor network theory with traditional and emerging safety frameworks Haavik presents a controversial and important perspective of integrated operations that has implications for practice outside the petroleum sector.’ Vidar Hepsø, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Project Manager Statoil R&D, Norway ’This is a thoughtful, well-structured academic book which leads the reader carefully through the author’s research to its logical conclusion.’ The RoSPA Occupational Safety & Health Journal, November 2013