CHAPTER 7

Safety Issues in the Petroleum Industry

Spring 2013

Instructor: Dr. Subhash Shah

Stephenson Chair Professor, MPGE
Director, Well Construction
Technology Center (WCTC)
The University of Oklahoma
Safety Issues in the Petroleum
Industry
• This section deals with safety aspects of
the petroleum industry. It includes

• Drilling rig operations safety

- Operational and personnel safety
- Offshore rig orientation (transportation)

• Production operations safety concerns,

especially handling of hydrogen sulfide in
production operations. (some wells on
Ubit A platform produce hydrogen sulfide)
 Why Safety?
 Safety is part of everyday living. Safety
must be considered in everything we do
- in the home, at work or play, on the
streets and highways.
 Safety operating procedures are vital to
surface operations. When accidents
occur, these may lead to loss of life or
limbs.
 Safety Tips
 People make safety

 Personal safeguard

 Clothing

 Goggles

 Work posture
 Safety Provisions on the Rig
 Rig equipment designed to prevent accidents
 Handrails on walkways & stairways
 Guards on all moving machinery
 Pressure relief devices on mud lines &
pumps/Emergency shut-down system on the rig
working in harmony with production
 Safety clothing - very important
 No loose or floppy dresses
 Hard hat must be worn to protect the head
 Steel-toe shoes must be worn to protect the feet
 Safety goggles to prevent eye injuries
 Safety Provisions on the Rig
 Safety meetings
- Must be conducted often to discuss
procedures
- Manuals for new employees
- Drills
 Special conditions
- Drilling in H2S environment needs special
precautions
Figure 7.1 - Crew training is essential to
safety, it can save a life
Figure 7.2 - The right way to lift an object
(always face the object to be lifted)
Figure 7.3 - No employee should ever attempt
to lift an object that exceeds his lifting ability
Figure 7.4 - A crouched position (well below the rotor tips is
necessary around helicopter). This is a function of height
Figure 7.5 - A typical basket-lift transfer to an
offshore platform
Figure 7.6 - Every ladder should be substantially
constructed and securely fastened in place
 Production Safety System
• One important aspect on a production wellhead
at flow stations or on offshore wellheads (and
platforms) is the surface shut-in system. It is a
law in many oil producing countries all over the
world that oil companies must install surface
shut-in safety systems on all platforms.
• Safety systems must be failed safe. That is,
failure of the energy source or any component
must cause the system to go to the safe mode.
The wells must be shut-in automatically at one
or more points.
 Production Safety System
• Severe conditions that can cause wellhead shut-
in are(1) uncontrolled flow from ruptured
pressure vessels and (2) overfilling vessels with
fluid and or pressure.
• The surface safety system consists of (1) fail safe
safety valves,(2) sensors,(3) logic control valving
and indicators (safety hook-up) and (4) power source.
• Most safety systems are operated with gas and hence
the operator taps the gas from the producing wells. The
gas must be clean and hence gas strainers are
generally installed on the gas line.
 Locations of Safety Valves
 Safety valves may be located at the following places:
- In the tubing (subsurface safety valve - SSSV)
- On the Christmas tree or downstream of the well (surface
safety valve - SSV).
 The safety hook-up device is used to trigger the SSV
during emergency; and usually there are at least three
positions for the safety hook-up on most platforms or
wellheads (located at several places, called Emergency
Shutdown System, ESD)
- Wellhead jacket (helicopter deck)
- Boat landing deck
- Well decks or exits (bridge connected wellhead)
- Quarters on the manned platform
 Hazard Analysis for Safety System
 Hazard analysis involves identification of
1. All potential hazards
2. Conditions that could cause hazard to occur
3. Sources or actions that could create hazard
conditions
 Process leads to a hazard chart which identifies
sources or actions which create conditions
which can become hazardous.
 Hazard chart used to identify procedures,
actions, or systems to prevent or reduce the
occurrence of hazard conditions.
Figure 7.6 - A typical hazard tree
Hydrogen Sulfide in Production Operations
 Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a problem that must be
carefully planned for wherever it occurs. This is
because of the high toxicity level and the expense of
repairs caused by hydrogen sulfide corrosion.
 A H2S safety program is an indispensable part of
running a successful production facility.
 A basic familiarity with the nature of hydrogen
sulfide, it’s hazards, and the equipment and
procedures used to deal with it can supply the
foundation for a hydrogen sulfide program. The
program’s effectiveness depends on how well it is
planned and implemented.
 Knowledge About Hydrogen Sulfide
 What is hydrogen sulfide?
 Where is hydrogen sulfide found?
 The physiological effects of hydrogen
sulfide?
 What can be done to prevent hydrogen
sulfide leaks, corrosion, and accidents?
 What safety practices to follow and
equipment to use when hydrogen sulfide
is present?
 What to do in H2S emergencies?
 What is Hydrogen Sulfide?
 It is a colorless gas
 It has a specific gravity of 1.18 and is heavier
than air. So it tends to settle in vessels and low
areas.
 It smells like rotten eggs in very small
concentrations (around 10 parts per million). Can
be tolerated for up to 8 hours without harm.
 It deadens the sense of smell in strong
concentrations (over 100 parts per million).
 It is slightly less lethal than hydrogen cyanide,
the gas sometimes used to execute those
convicted of capital crimes.
 It is more toxic than carbon monoxide, a toxic
gas that results from incomplete combustion.
The physiological
effects of H2S
which range from a
rotten egg odor
through eye and
throat irritation,
coughing,
dizziness, loss of
vision,
unconsciousness,
and death

Figure 7.8 - Physiological effects of hydrogen sulfide

Table 7.1 - Effects of Various Concentration of H2S
 Prevention of Hydrogen Sulfide
• Because H2S is heavier than air, it tends to collect in low
areas such as bell holes, pit bottoms, and ditches.
• Because of the relatively high pressure involved in gas
injection and storage, particular care must be exercised
to avoid releasing sour gas into the atmosphere.
• Leakage problems can be anticipated, and leakage
detection systems should be set up to prevent accidents.
- Gas leaks may be caused by problems that are not
obvious. For example, the valve stem of most valves used
in production operations is sealed with a packing material
to prevent leaks. Occasionally, age, wear, temperature
changes, or other factors allow these packings to leak into
the atmosphere.
Emergency Response Plans - Rescue
Procedures and First Aid
• The cardinal rule for H2S rescue is that rescue
must not be attempted unless the rescuer is
adequately protected.
• For each worker entering a hazard area, another
should observe from a safe place and be ready to
rescue the worker should anything happen. This
is called the buddy system.
• The buddy system is a method of pairing two
individual for their mutual aid or protection. It is
used among crew members to ensure that each
person is accounted for.
H2S Safety Practices and Equipment
 The most important thing to remember
about hydrogen sulfide is that its strong,
sulfurous odor will disappear when a
concentration of 100 parts per million (ppm)
or more deadens the nerves in the nose.
 If possible the direction of the odor must be
determined and people should move into
the wind or across the wind away from the
path of the leak. They should never move
in the direction of the wind.
H2S Safety Practices and Equipment
 People without adequate breathing apparatus
should never investigate sour gas odor,
especially if it is strong. If they loose the sense of
smell, the apparent absence of odor may lead
them to assume that the gas has dissipated and
they may be overcome by the gas before they
realize the danger.
 Important and useful aids to general hydrogen
sulfide safety around the production site include
posted warning signs, fences, wind direction
indicators, and hydrogen sulfide monitors, both
non-portable and portable
 Continuous H2S monitors are a practical means of detecting
H 2 S leakage

If H2S reaches dangerous levels, monitors trigger audible and

visible alarms to alert people
Figure 7.10 - Hydrogen sulfide leakage detection monitors
Figure 7.11- Warning signs against H2S danger
Figure 7.12 - Breathing apparatus
 Emergency Response Plans
• If H2S has overcome more than one person,
the one longest exposed should be rescued
first.
• Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is the most
commonly accepted method of first aid for
victims who have stopped breathing.
• Manual resuscitation works by forcing air
into the lungs. Only trained personnel
should use the artificial resuscitation
method known as cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
Figure 7.13 - Artificial resuscitation, mouth-to mouth
method
 Summary
 In summary, H2S, compounds produced as a result of
reactions with H 2 S and other substances, and other
gases are extremely hazardous to people near
production operations. This hazard is one reason that
the petroleum industry has gained a reputation for
being somewhat dangerous.
 With proper care in design, installation, operation,
and maintenance of production facilities and with
properly equipped and well-trained people, however,
the dangers of exposure can be kept to a minimum, if
not eliminated. Safety precautions require time, effort,
and some expense, but the investment will save lives
and produce enviable safety records.
END of Presentation