Safety and security of offshore oil and gas installations
The work of this Study Group has been completed.
Co-Chairs
Aus CSCAP, CSCAP Malaysia and CSCAP Singapore
Considerations
The number of offshore oil and gas installations in the waters of the Asia-Pacific continues to rapidly grow. In the Asia-Pacific Region, any attack on security or significant safety incident on offshore facilities has implications for security and economic well-being of all regional states. This is particularly relevant given current and forecast pressures in the international energy situation. Incidents in the regional offshore oil and gas industry would: cause further short-term oil/gas price instability; put pressure on regional security arrangements; increase operating costs through increased security requirements, workforce concerns and higher insurance premiums; and provide adverse publicity, impacting negatively on public and business confidence in the sector and those who operate, regulate and protect it.
Specific agenda
It is anticipated that this Study Group will enjoy support from the regional offshore oil and gas industry, which has an interest in consistent approaches to security and safety. The Co-chairs of the Study Group will seek the involvement of the private sector in the work of the Group. Initial discussions with offshore industry suggest that this support might be forthcoming.
As well as being an important issue that CSCAP can usefully discuss and contribute to regional security deliberations, including energy security, this Study Group also has the additional benefit of promoting the relationship between CSCAP and the private sector.
Outcomes
The outcome of the Study Group will be a short CSCAP Memorandum on the topic. This will likely provide guidelines of policy relevance covering the following key issues:
- Scope for cooperation in the provision of security and safety of offshore installations;
- Contingency arrangements for response and search and rescue following a major disaster involving an offshore installations;
- A common interpretation of jurisdictional issues relating to offshore installations; and
- A possible regional position on the disposal of decommissioned installations.
Meetings
This Study Group held one meeting on 6-8 October 2010 in Da Nang, Vietnam.
See Memorandum No.16 on the Safety and security of offshore oil and gas installations.