Achieving Safety at Sea – Discussing the Safety Programs Implemented by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission

Abstract

Over 70% of Nigeria's oil and gas reserves are in swamp and offshore environments with over 40,000 workers registered to work there. Following the signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill into law, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as the successor agency of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is the upstream industry regulator mandated to drive several safety programs to protect people, environment, and assets through enforcement of laws and regulations. The aim of this paper is to discuss the various safety programs adopted by Commission to reduce accidents in swamp and offshore areas, in which bulk of the oil and gas operations occur. A detailed review of the programs showed that in addition to protection of people, environment and asset, safety programs drive cost savings in the industry, improves collaboration among operators, creates jobs and other economic opportunities in Nigeria. This paper will discuss in detail, the background, methodology, successes, challenges, and opportunities of some flagship safety programs of the Commission. The programs to be discussed are - Administration of Offshore Safety Permit; Implementation of Safety Case; Annual Facility Inspection and Oil Spill Contingency Plan; Risk Based Inspection; Safety and Emergency Training Center and Medical Center Accreditation and Search Rescue and Surveillance Program. This paper only gives insight into the management of safety in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and does not attempt to review the performance or effectiveness of these safety programs vis-à-vis accident statistics in the industry. The various safety programs can be adopted by regulators around the world most especially in countries with a nascent oil and gas industry.