The production of gas and oil remains one of the most hazardous activities in the energy industry. This is because of the “risks associated with the voluminous quantities of highly inflammable hydrocarbons that are often stored at the production facilities” (Pinheiro, Cranor & Anderson 2011). Assessment of the risks associated with oil and gas production in every phase is thus very important. This will help the plant personnel to identify, evaluate, and be able to regulate or totally control the disasters that could result in deaths, accidents, pollutions, destruction of property and disruption of normal business.
An appropriate methodology must be adopted to ensure the hazards and catastrophes caused by accidents from gas and oil production plants are mitigated or generally reduced (Pinheiro et al, 2011). This is possible with the adoption of prejob planning process that is more holistic and includes an overview of the whole scope of the work involved and a process hazard assessment. The process hazard assessment conducted through a review of the scope of work involved in the production of oil and gas helps in the mitigations of any potential hazards. This, in essence, is the role of prejob planning.
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In order to enhance safety in the production of oil and gas products, process management regulations are very essential. However, this is only possible to implement with the use of “strategic process hazard assessment (PHA)” (Pinheiro et al, 2011). This is where prejob planning becomes useful in the oil and gas production. A modified process hazard assessment (PHA) for prejob planning can be applied in the production of oil and gas to limit the hazards associated with this process. Therefore, process hazard assessment is an important aspect in prejob planning in oil and gas production.
Process hazard assessment in prejob planning requires a review of the scope of work. This can be achieved through division of the entire job process into distinct phases. The phases could include the preparation of the production site, the mobilization process, operation, demobilization, cleanup of the site and restoration (Pinheiro et al, 2011). The operation phase in the review of the scope of work could involve identification and inclusion of all the details that could help in the identification of the potential hazards available in the entire gas and oil production process.
The second step in the review of the scope of work involved in prejob planning entails “identification of hazards, the causes and the potential impact of each phase of the job” (Pinheiro et al, 2011). This is done with the use of process hazard assessment. It is through the identification of the risks involved in every phase of the production process that strategic and accurate mitigation approaches can be developed. Every stage of the production process must be screened for identification all the potential hazard routes.
Prejob planning in oil and gas production requires a review of the scope of work which includes a description of the core site of the organization and the expectations of the management. This implies that the entire prejob planning process that aims at achieving safety in oil and gas production process must involve a review of the scope of work that also focuses on the prejob safety inspection. Pinheiro et al (2011) cited that “this process includes a review of the plant’s compliance to the drug and alcohol policy, safety training and verification of key competencies of the entire production process” (Pinheiro et al, 2011). The assessment must also include an examination of the mitigation strategies that the plant’s management has put in place to deal with the hazards and accidents caused by the processes in the oil and gas production plants.
In conclusion, prejob planning is a broad process involving evaluation of the process hazard assessment procedures of any oil and gas production plants. This process should include the safety mechanisms and disaster mitigation approaches that the management has put in place to combat the risks associated with the production of gas and oil. Prejob planning is thus an essential plot in the prevention of hazards associated with gas and oil production.