Bureau Veritas Issues First SEMS Certificate Within Offshore Oil & Gas Industry

HOUSTON, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bureau Veritas has awarded certification to Statoil for meeting the Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) protocols developed by the Center for Offshore Safety (COS), an enhanced set of requirements in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Statoil is the first organization to be issued a SEMS certificate by Bureau Veritas and is also the first offshore operator to successfully complete an independent assessment and demonstrate compliance with the offshore safety and environmental sustainability rule.

The certification recognizes that Statoil Gulf of Mexico E&P's management system meets industry and regulatory requirements for SEMS. The standard entails thirteen elements, including: management commitment, hazards analysis, change management, operating procedures, safe work practices, training, quality assurance of critical equipment, pre-startup reviews, emergency response, incident investigation, and documentation/record keeping.  

Initially established as a recommended practice in the 1990s, RP 75 was made mandatory in 2011 by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).  The latest iteration of the SEMS framework, referred to as SEMS II, increases focus on human behavior and includes new requirements related to stop-work authority, employee participation, and more. SEMS II also requires that audits be conducted by an independent and accredited third-party auditor by 2015.

Jorge Hercules, Vice President, Bureau Veritas Certification North America, said, "Statoil's decision to use an accredited third-party auditor before the 2015 requirement demonstrates their proactive commitment to safety and environmental sustainability. The value they place on auditing expertise, impartiality, and regulatory insight will help support their goals of superior HSE performance and continuous improvement."

Statoil is an international energy company with over 40 years of experience in oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf. Headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, Statoil has operations in 34 countries and approximately 23,000 employees worldwide.

"We are pleased to receive this recognition for the quality and completeness of our SEMS program.  We take a lot of pride in being seen as a safe and responsible operator, and we are committed to continuing to improve and advance our systems and approach," said Jason Nye, Senior Vice President, U.S. Offshore, Statoil.

About Bureau Veritas Certification
Bureau Veritas Certification, the independent third-party registrar of Bureau Veritas Group, offers a comprehensive product portfolio from internationally recognized standards to more customized systems, and draws from a large pool of expert resources housed in an extensive international network.  In response to the changing needs of our customers, Bureau Veritas Certification is ideally positioned to best respond to today's driving market trends and client demand for more value-added services that are global, seamless, and integrated.

SOURCE Bureau Veritas