Management of change process to be implemented and used when determining and agreeing the value and impact of any change which may occur during Well Operations (Drilling / DST / Completions / Interventions) and also documents.
1. PURPOSE
This Change Management process is applicable to all changes and deviations for all well operations activities including:
- Drilling, Welltest and Completion activities
- Intervention and Workovers (incl. Wellhead maintenance & well integrity activities), Pulling units activities Well Abandonment and Decommisioning activities
The purpose of this Change Management is to assess, manage and control the risks and potential effects of any changes to agreed processes and programmes, prior to changes being implemented.
2. OBJECTIVES
To manage the following:
- All new hazards and their potential effects on personnel, environment, cost, assets and reputation are identified and assessed.
- Adequate barriers and controls are specified and developed to reduce new risks to - as low as reasonably practicable - ALARP. In any case, Barriers must be conform to Company's Standards
- All new risks are communicated to and from the well site, and specified controls and barriers are implemented as necessary.
Decisions are based on thorough analysis of alternative options and their risked outcomes. Implications of those decisons are defined and agreed with line-management as appropriate.
Changes are made in a controlled and efficient manner, with appropriate levels of knowledge to engineering/design, cost and risk analysis and consultation, as that employed in the original design/document development.
Deviations to programmes, policies and standards must be approved by persons who have the required technical, regulatory and financial authority.
Changes are effectively communicated to the relevant individuals. Regulatory and Asset owner approval is obtained where necessary.
3. CHANGE CONTROL PROCESS
All Well Operations related activities are carried out in accordance with the Company's Well Construction Process, and associated manuals and procedures.
The Change control process shall be applied to all changes and deviations for well activities after approval of the well programme up to the point where the well is handed over to the Asset.
Deviations from the original plan as detailed in the well programme may become necessary due to geological /subsurface uncertainties or problems encountered during the course of operations. It is the purpose of this change control procedure to provide a tool which facilitates agreement of any change - this is achieved by determining and agreeing the value and impact of a change, then documenting the approval process accepting that change.
Changes in well functionality or integrity are included and documented within this process providing an auditable format.
All change control/amendment documents shall be stored within the appropriate folder of the respective well file.
4. DEFINITON OF CHANGE
LEVEL 1 (WORDING)
1. A wording change is a change to an approved plan, programme or procedure that has no safety implication, adds < USD 100,000 to the cost of the operation and has no impact on the operation’s objectives.
2. Wording changes to the work programme are discussed and agreed between the offshore well team and the relevant onshore focal point for the well operation (Senior Well Ops Engineer or Well Ops Engineer).
3. All wording changes to programmes shall be confirmed by e-mail from the offshore well team to the relevant onshore focal point for the well, or his delegate and to relevant team members.
LEVEL 2 (MINOR)
1. A minor change is a change to an approved plan, programme or procedure that has no impact on the operation’s objectives, but could have a direct safety implication and/or increase the cost of the operation by more than €100,000 but less than €250.000.
2. Minor changes to the plan or programme, or additional operations not included within the programme, should be discussed and agreed between the onshore and offshore well teams and confirmed in writing using the programme change control/amendment form, which requires signatures of the relevant authority level. This shall be issued prior to any minor change in a programme commencing.
3. The offshore well ops supervisor shall discuss with the relevant onshore focal point for the well operation (Senior Well Ops Engineer or Well Ops Engineer) and obtain the necessary sign off.
4. The change control/amendment document is compiled by the onshore team engineer and approved by the onshore focal point for the well, or his delegate. It will then be included and recorded within the well file for that programme.
5. In the event the change influences a safety aspect of the well, an independent Well Examiner and the local authority body should be consulted (when applicable).
6. Out of office hours, or when it is otherwise not reasonably practicable to raise a written change control/amendment, a minor change can be approved by verbal instruction from the onshore focal point on duty for the well, or his delegate, subject to the agreement of the offshore Well Ops Supervisor and the rig OIM.
7. All verbal instructions must be confirmed in writing using the change control/amendment form the next working day.
LEVEL 3 (MAJOR)
1. A major change is a deviation from the approved plan, programme or procedure which results in any of the following;
- Deviation from the well objectives,
- Deviation to the notification given to Government,
- Alteration to the original well design,
- Deviation from a WOR,
- Well AFE being exceeded.
2. Changes affecting the final well status require a change control/amendment form to be developed, which requires signatures of the relevant authority level.
3. Form shall be issued prior to any change taking place. The onshore focal point for the well, or his delegate shall discuss the proposed change with the Well Ops Manager and Asset Manager prior to change being implemented.
4. The change control/amendment document is compiled by the onshore team engineer and approved by the onshore focal point for the well, or his delegate. It will then be included and recorded within the well file for that programme.
5. In the event the change influences a safety aspect of the well, an independent Well Examiner and the local authority body should be consulted (when applicable).
6. Out of office hours or when it is otherwise not reasonably practicable to raise a written change control/amendment, a verbal instruction from the onshore focal point for the well, or his delegate, endorsed by the Well Operations Manager is acceptable subject to the agreement of the offshore Well Ops Supervisor and the rig OIM. This is not valid for deviation to an existing Standard must be granted by the Group Well Operations Manager.
7. All verbal instructions must be confirmed in writing using the change control/amendment form the next working day.
5. RISK ASSESSMENT
Hazards and risks arising as a result of proposed changes to the approved plan, procedure or programme shall be assessed using the Company's Risk Assessment Procedure.
6. MOC FOR STANDARDS, MANUALS, ETC.
When a document such as Standards , Casing and Tubing Design Manual etc. has been modified the Well Operation population will be informed via Email. The Email will notify the document reference, and the nature of the modification.