Lack of Adequate Supervision by Lease Operator of Contract Personnel
Effective Date: 11/16/1973
 | Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Notice No. 007
November 16, 1973
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Lack of Adequate Supervision by Lease Operator of ContractPersonnel
A pollution incident recently occurred on an OCS installation where a wellwas left unattended with the subsurface safety device removed, the master valveopen, the wing valve open, and the flowline disconnected.
The well's tubing string was to be used for orientation of perforations inanother tubing string.
The well was supposedly dead; however, in order to pull the tubing plug, acontract well control unit was used to pressure up with salt water above thetubing plug. The tubing plug was then pulled by the contract wireline operator;however, due to the lack of additional required equipment and the approachingend of daylight, the contractors (both wireline and well control companies) wereordered by the lease operator's workover superintendent by radio to ceaseoperations and secure the well.
The wireline operation rigged down, shutting the crown valve. The wellcontrol unit rigged down, leaving the wing valve open and the flowlinedisconnected. The contract personnel departed the platform at approximately 5:30p.m. The wireline operator stated on his work order, "well secured."
During the night, the well unloaded and was discovered to be flowing atapproximately 2:00 a.m. by a night pumper during a routine inspection by boat.(This well is presently a flowing oil well without any additional workover.)
The lease operator had in effect a protection plan which stated, "Wireline- Electric Line; line not in hole --- Master Valve closed."However, none of the lease operator employees checked to confirm that the planwas carried out, nor were any of the contract employees assigned as being incharge of the workover and therefore directly responsible to the lease operatorfor the entire operation.
Recommendations which were made to prevent a recurrence of this pollutionincident are:
1. Establish a procedure whereby the lease operator's personnel secure eachunmanned platform after or during the departure of all other personnel.
2. A night inspection procedure of unmanned platforms, assuring at least oneinspection per night, with the exception of inclement weather qualification.
These recommendations should be reviewed by all operators for applicabilityto their OCS installations and operational procedures.
[signature] D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Field Operations
Gulf of Mexico Area