Four rigs on Statoil's Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea have all worked for a year without suffering lost-time injuries.
This is the first time such results have been achieved in drilling and well operations off Norway, reports Jorunn Klovning. She heads the health, environment and safety (HES) department in the Åsgard organisation.
Some 1,000 people have completed about 1.5 million working hours over the past year on Transocean Arctic, Transocean Winter, Transocean Searcher and Scarabeo 6. These rigs are doing exploration and production drilling on the field.
"We know from experience that there is a clear connection between an efficient operation and a safe operation," comments Åsgard drilling manager Johan Haave.
Statoil is accordingly pursuing measures to improve the physical working environment, with continuous pressure being maintained to ensure good order and tidiness.
"We take the time to work safely, and people look out for each other on the rigs," Mr Haave continues.
"A year without lost-time injuries on Åsgard must be viewed in relation to extensive upgrading work and the transition from exploration to production drilling," he adds. "The people and companies involved deserve every praise."
From next year, Statoil may publish daily statistics of absences from work at its land-based plants and rigs, reports Christina Dreetz. She is in charge of publishing results and statistics in the corporate HES department.
A Top 10 list of this kind would be based on reported figures to which HES has access.