Accident investigation in the Norwegian petroleum industry – Common features and future challenges

In their regulations, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) states that the companies responsible for oil and gas exploration and production activities in Norway shall record and investigate accidents and serious incidents. This paper introduces a general model for the accident investigation process in the Norwegian petroleum industry, and presents some results derived from a comparative study of causal factors identified in offshore accident investigation reports from 2002 to 2006. The paper also offers a discussion of the improvement potential in the use of investigation methods. Finally, a discussion of future challenges in accident investigations is provided.

Research highlights
► Causal factors are identified from accident investigations in the Petroleum Industry.
► Deviations were connected to risk management, technical condition and management.
► Improvement potentials regarding the use of investigation methods were revealed.
► Challenges regarding further accident investigations are discussed.