Winterization of Cold Climate and Arctic Offshore Operations Available to Purchase

For oil and gas exploration and production projects in cold climate and Arctic environments, much attention has been paid to winterization of the facilities. Conferences with the theme “Vessel Winterization” are held regularly and standards like ISO 19906, Arctic Offshore Structures, are concerned with winterization of facilities. We will, however, highlight the need to winterize all aspects of the operation: ‐ It is not sufficient that the vessel is winterized if the staff does not have competence to work in cold climate ‐ It is not sufficient to ensure a good working environment if the staff is not prepared to work at the remote location ‐ It is not sufficient to winterize the facilities if the personnel cannot be rescued in case of emergency ‐ It is not sufficient to ensure safe operations if the oil spill equipment does not work at all in case of an oil spill during the cold period We could continue to list important aspects of oil and gas exploration and production projects in cold climate or Arctic environment that are not adequately robust even if the “facilities are winterized” and we will highlight the need to include all aspects of the operation planning in the preparation for winterization. Of particular importance is the involvement of the personnel when it comes to preparedness, health, and protection to ensure that the staff is adequately taken care of when working in cold climate and Arctic areas. The presentation will, therefore, also deal with practical aspects of health in cold climates, including pre-assignment health requirements, as well as competence and training with respect to “Winterization of Operations”. The paper, thus, includes recommendations for health requirements, training and preparedness in order to prevent negative health impacts on the individual and on the operation.