Three Key Ways to Protect Oil and Gas Operations from Pollution Risks

An oil spill or gas leak might not significantly affect a company’s bottom line, but the impact of pollution losses can be damaging to a company’s reputation, even as it can result in potential harm to the community where it occurs, as well as the environment. For operators, oil and gas companies who perform regular preventive maintenance of aging pipelines can put themselves in a much better position to control their pollution risks and to respond quickly after hurricanes and other natural disasters.

“It’s about having a risk management mindset instead of chasing spills,” said Ronnie J. Kallus, a Travelers Oil and Gas Risk Control Professional. “Periodic inspections and continual testing can help companies identify potential problems.”

帮助控制污染风险的方法包括：预防性维护老化管道，闪电保护和适当的聚乙烯管（有时称为poly-Pipe）。

1.预防性维护。Preventive maintenance is essentially a capital preservation plan. Investing capital into maintaining infrastructure will help to reduce the likelihood of a loss occurring. Instead of responding to a scene after pollution damage has occurred, periodic inspections can allow companies to identify and repair potentially damaged pipes and other equipment.有一个程序Kallus指出，随着时间的流逝，由于记录可能不准确或不可用，因此随着时间的流逝而主动检查和更换老化管尤为重要。

记录政策和程序，以确保您的设备处于良好的工作状态。您的计划应考虑管道，流动线，收集系统，坦克电池，盐水罐和其他特定操作设备，这些设备可能会带来污染风险。

管道的年龄，类型和操作条件，包括压力，流动以及油，气体和/或盐水的类型，可能会影响需要检查和更换管道的频率。因为在失败时可能看不到地面管道，因此重要的是要包括静水压力测试以检测管道的泄漏和恶化。



2. Lightning protection.油田运营的盐水坦克可能特别容易受到雷击。静电可以在玻璃纤维水箱中积聚，这会吸引雷击并导致溢出的油，盐水和其他物质。如果不存在或妥协，这些物质可以扩散到毗邻土地，农作物，房屋和水道。

当闪电击中坦克时，空间中的氧气也可以充当点火源，这可能导致火灾风险。国家消防协会的标准NFPA 780，详细的安装要求，以保护人员和财产免受火灾风险以及与雷击有关的其他危害。

除了安装雷击保护外，还要在储罐周围保持二次遏制，还可以提供重要的防御线。如果泄漏仅限于次要遏制内部，则与膨胀以污染该区域周围的土壤，地表水和地下水更容易清理。

3. Poly-pipe installation.安装新管道时，请确保在安装过程中进行适当的字段监督和文档。进行例行检查，计划检查，以帮助确保正确进行安装工作。分包商正确安装和维护这些系统的能力可以帮助防止故障。

Often, gathering lines and substations are maintained by an operator or a contracted roustabout company. Operators that are self-performing these tasks need to ensure their staff is qualified to do so and have the proper equipment to perform this procedure. When lines need to be repaired, they have to be isolated from the rest of the piping system, which requires a squeeze-off process using specialized equipment. Loss investigations revealed shortcuts taken, such as use of a back-hoe to perform this process, which not only can damage the pipeline, but also can be hazardous to employees.

Lastly, poly-pipe for saltwater disposal lines can have a higher rate of failure leading to higher loss potential. A greater emphasis on inspection and maintenance programs for these systems may be beneficial.

为重大风暴做准备

虽然通常不可能提前准备大风暴，但积极的预防性维护可以帮助最大程度地减少潜在的损害。如果公司收到大型风暴（例如飓风）的足够通知，则可以在租赁场所采取预防措施，以帮助最大程度地减少污染事件。例如，一些公司将从坦克电池中取出原油，并用盐水重新装满坦克，以防止在洪水事件中倾倒。其他预防措施包括在现场固定井头和其他设备，以最大程度地减少损坏，并删除被认为可以在洪水期间很容易被扫除的临时物品。

发生重大风暴之后，重要的是要检查地点检查损坏并替换任何受损的管道，陶器和次要遏制装置，因此下次需要时它们将在功能齐全。卡洛斯说：“您无法预测所有暴露，但是暴风雨后的反应可以帮助最大程度地减少潜在的污染风险。”

When preparing for a potential pollution event, it’s important to take a proactive approach. Conduct regular drills to simulate how employees will respond in an actual emergency. Contracting with an emergency response vendor in advance can improve response times and may also allow you to negotiate favorable terms for labor and equipment rates, which help reduce costs following a storm. Involve your insurance carrier early in the emergency response, clean-up, and remediation process, particularly those that have experience in dealing with similar situations.

在保护石油和天然气运营的方法中保持风险管理的观点。这是一个有利的位置，可以帮助您以不止一种方式保护您的公司。