process safety

We design inherent safety into our facilities by implementing sound standards and procedures during facility design, construction, and start-up activities. Additionally, we have quality-assurance processes to verify that materials received meet design specifications and that construction is in accordance with applicable standards. For example, at our Sakhalin-1 Project in Russia, we installed a special high-integrity pressure protection system to protect the export oil system. We also protected storage tanks with unique double-rimmed floating roofs to reduce the likelihood of roof failure due to water or snow load.

We operate our facilities within established operating envelopes and applicable regulations. To operate in this way requires structured inspection and maintenance programs, regular testing of integrity critical equipment, and strict procedures to maintain safe operating envelopes. Additionally, we apply advanced technologies in many of our manufacturing facilities to alert operators to investigate potentially abnormal operating events.

We evaluate and train our employees and contractors on an ongoing basis to ensure that individual and team skills match the requirements needed for safe and reliable operations. For example, our upstream business has a competency assurance process for operating and maintenance staff that involves identifying the requirements for every position and a gap analysis of employee skills. It includes training and mentoring on the job. In some complex projects, this also involves assigning new operators to ongoing operations elsewhere, after completion of basic training.