WELL CONTROL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
Five Steps to an Effective WCERP
Despite best efforts to minimize the risk to personnel and assets, oil and gas remain a relatively high-risk industry. Everyone who works in this sector will be impacted by an emergency at some point in their career, either directly or indirectly. We’ve all seen the devastating impact an emergency can have. Each of us has a responsibility to mitigate that risk as much as possible by preparing for any eventuality.
A Well Control Emergency Response Plan (WCERP) or Blowout Contingency Plan (BCP) is one of the key elements towards effective risk management and emergency response preparedness planning for a well control emergency.
For people charged with managing their company’s plan, there are several things to consider to make sure it helps achieve a safe outcome for your people, the environment, and your business.
With over 45 years experience in emergency response planning and after solving 80% of well control events worldwide, we’ve provided some steps to creating an effective plan.
1. Review your Current Plan
How good is your plan? Is it up to date? Does it need to be refreshed?
While larger companies usually have a well-established plan in line with regulatory requirements, there might be some companies that don’t have one in place.
If your company does have a disaster control plan, it’s good practice to review it regularly to make sure it’s always relevant. It should include changes in the business, such as new locations, team structures, and any other relevant elements. Make sure everyone who has a responsibility linked to the plan is involved in it, understands it, and fully buys into it.
2. Establish a Timeline
Time is everything. Accurately identify how long it would take for a first responder to get to your emergency. Aim to mitigate that time or speed it up if possible. In dealing with a well incident, quick access to reports is crucial. Drilling critical hole section monitoring or container monitoring system reports can give responders a clearer picture of what’s happening downhole. That can help them deliver the appropriate response in a shorter timeframe.
3. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
The best way to ensure your plan is fit for purpose is to go through it with an emergency response preparedness drill. Again and again and again.
From tabletop exercises to full-on functional exercises involving contractors, regulators, and senior management, regular drills can iron out any problems. So when it’s called on for real, your plan will run smoothly. In an emergency, people can get anxious and agitated. Knowing they are following a sound and trusted well control emergency response plan (WCERP) with a well control response card (WCRC) can help reassure them. That means they can do their job better.
4. Prevent an Incident
Prevention is always better than cure. It’s important to have a strong preparedness program through:
- Plan reviews
- Exercises
- Training
- Site risk assessments
- Gas dispersion
5. Stick to your Plan
When an incident occurs, implement the plan and stick to it. That may seem straightforward. But you’d be surprised how many people fail or forget to follow the plan.
We respond to about 80% of the global well control response market. We’ve successfully capped hundreds of wells worldwide in all kinds of operational environments. We know what a good ERP looks like and we can help you with all your emergency response plan elements. So when the time comes to put your plan into action, your emergency control plan is as ready as it can be.
Download our Emergency Response Planning and Drill sheet for more information.