More improvement needed before West Bollsta rig gets compliance award

Norwegian offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has found one improvement point regarding an application for the Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) for the West Bollsta drilling rig.

The PSA said on Wednesday that the audit, conducted from 7-11 May, focused on management and follow-up of emergency preparedness on the rig.

The West Bollsta was preparing for operations on the NCS during the audit.

According to the PSA, the objective of the audit was to verify that the emergency preparedness organisation, operational preparations, and relevant documents in the management system comply with the requirements in the petroleum regulations.

The PSA stated that it found no non-conformities during the audit. The one improvement point in the audit related to training of the emergency preparedness organisation.

The safety watchdog asked Seadrill for an assessment of how the improvement point would be addressed by 25 June 2020.

In connection with an AoC application, the PSA conducts audits within selected specialist domains.

A similar audit on the West Bollsta was conducted in February. The offshore safety body looked at technical conditions and relevant documents in the management system.

At the time, the PSA found non-conformities relating to offshore cranes – the crane operator’s view of loading areas, certification of lifting equipment in the drilling area, communication, and unclarified aspects of logistics with no improvement points found.

It is worth noting that before the PSA issues an AoC, the company must correct all known safety-critical non-conformities. The rig must also have maritime certificates from the appropriate flag state.

As for the rig, the West Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig is capable of operating in harsh environment areas and ultra-deep waters of up to 10,000 feet.

Northern Drilling bought the West Bollsta from Hyundai in December 2017. The original client for the rig, Fred. Olsen Energy, cancelled the order in 2015 as a result of the delays in the delivery date.

Also, Northern Drilling won a 10-well contract in Norway for the West Bollsta with Lundin back in late February 2019.

Seadrill is the manager of the West Bollsta during its contract with Lundin.

Under the terms of the contract, the drilling program for the rig included the development of the Luno II field and the Rolvsnes discovery in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The contract will start in the second quarter of 2020.

Last month, Lundin was given a drilling permit to drill the 7219/11-1 well in the Barents Sea, offshore Norway. West Bollsta is the chosen rig for this well.