Ophir Energy plc Annual Report and Accounts 2011

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Ophir Energy plc Annual Report 2011
Helping out with the provision of materials and
facilities for education is one of the worthwhile
contributions Ophir makes to the communities
in which it works, the benefits of which are
immediate and obvious.
HSE highlights
The high levels of Ophir Energy
operated exploration activities
experienced in 2010 spilled over
into 2011. During 2011 the Company
carried out a number of drilling and
seismic acquisition programmes.
These exploration activities are
summarised below and were
completed without any significant
occupational health and safety
incidents (LTIs) or offshore security
incidents (piracy). With regard
to HSE issues in general it is
important to highlight that several
of Ophir’s exploration projects
are carried out in offshore areas
affected by Somali piracy risk,
therefore Ophir and its contractors
meticulously plan and execute a
full security plan offshore to protect
personnel and assets. Although
acts of piracy are reported to occur
on a fairly regular basis in the
Somali Basin/Indian Ocean, none
of these incidents has adversely
affected Ophir’s operations.
2011 HSE operational summary
1. Tanzania – Drilling in Blocks 1
and 4 carried over into Q 1–2
of 2011. This Ophir Energy
operated drilling was carried out
simultaneously with shooting of
3D seismic in the same areas.
In addition to normal HSE
considerations these activities
required a high degree of
maritime security co-ordination
given the current risk of piracy
in the region. Mid-year Ophir
handed over operatorship of
Blocks 1, 3 and 4 to the BG Group,
this included operatorship of the
Ophir is working to further expand its HSE and CSR
reporting procedures by widening the scope of
reporting to include all services companies and
contractor personnel.
shore base at Mtwara. Also in
Tanzania in late Q4 2011 we
initiated a Fugro 3D seismic
programme in the Ophir operated
East Pande block. This seismic was
completed in early 2012. The
operations in Tanzania were all
subject to the normal EIA and
piracy risk assessments.
The security plans were
successfully enforced using a
close partnership of Tanzanian
Navy and private security
contractors operating with strict
rules of engagement and
behaving in accordance with the
UN’s voluntary principles on
human rights.
2. AGC (Senegal /Guinea Bissau)
– Ophir drilled one well offshore
Senegal /Guinea Bissau in the
joint development zone known
as the AGC. Prior to drilling a
consultation process including
a compliant EIA was issued
including oil spill response
planning and safety risk
assessments (narco - trafficking/
robbery). A security plan was
designed and executed in
conjunction with service
companies (rig and supply
vessels) and HASSMAR
(Senegalese body responsible
for the environment and security
of its offshore areas). The
security plan was used not only
to ensure safe conditions in the
drilling area , it was also used to
protect the personnel and assets
during the mobilisation and
demobilisation phase as people
and equipment were moved into
the project area from the Gulf of
Guinea and back out of the
project area on completion of
the well. The Kora 1 drilling
programme was completed with
zero LTIs.
3. Gabon – Ophir planned (EIA
completed and risk assessments
carried out) and initiated a 3D
seismic programme in late Q4.
The programme was concluded
without incident in February
2012.
Corporately the Ophir Energy Group
recorded a zero rate for LTIs over
the 2011 calendar year.
Ophir is working to further expand
its HSE and CSR reporting
procedures by widening the scope
of reporting to include all services
companies and contractor
personnel employed on projects
and to further refine the Company
KPIs it employs in these reporting
procedures. Ophir expects to
complete these changes within
the coming months.
BUSINESS REVIEW GOVERNANCE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS