21st Century Ocean Energy Safety Research Roadmap

Recorded On: 07/23/2019

A research roadmap, based on data and input from experts across the offshore oil and gas industries, was developed to help prioritize R&D investments to improve offshore health, safety, environmental performance. The final report focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, while incorporating applicable findings and research from all offshore regions where oil and gas is produced.

The roadmap report is comprehensive, utilizing publications, subject matter experts, documents from the Offshore Energy Safety Institute (OESI) including “Ocean Energy Safety Research Roadmap for the 21^st Century Forum for Dialogue” and the “Portfolio of Ocean Energy Safety Research Efforts.” Other documents include the 2018 The Research Partnership for a Secure Energy America (RPSEA) “R&D Plan”, a 2018 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and Gulf Research Program (GRP) ‘Safer Offshore Energy System Summit.’; in addition, the report utilizes SPE, SEG and IADC papers, and published summaries from other safety workshops and meetings. The SME’s submitted recommendations concerning broad topics, with several sub topics including; Drilling, Operations, Production, Transportation and Spills. The report recommendations include the need, value and, in some cases estimated level of effort for different safety areas. Areas covered include prevention, response and mitigation as well as needed advancements in information systems, internet security, data sharing, prediction and early detection.

The Technology Road Map, developed in this effort, offers a unique opportunity to guide the applications of advanced technologies. These new technology applications will continue the significant progress of current safety and environmental management systems and procedures. The Safety Research Roadmap, developed in cooperation with regulators, service providers and researchers, addresses an important need to identify and prioritize limited research investments. This report provides opportunities for cooperation and leveraging of funding and resources.

This webinar is categorized under the Health, Safety, and Environment discipline.

Jim Pettigrew

Principal Investigator/Director of Operations, Ocean Energy Safety Institute

Retired Navy Captain Jim Pettigrew is the Principal Investigator and Director of Operations for the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI). A partnership between Texas A&M University, University of Houston, and University of Texas – Austin; OESI provides a forum for dialogue, shared learning and cooperative research among academia, government, industry and other non-governmental organizations. OESI’s focus is offshore-related technologies and activities that help ensure safer and environmentally responsible offshore operations. Jim assumed the position of Principal Investigator in December 2018, and Director in May 2014.

Throughout his three decades in the Navy, Pettigrew worked predominantly in operational oceanography, surface warfare and information warfare; managing and mitigating risk at all levels of operations. He served most recently as Chief of Staff for the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command where he was responsible for the direction and leadership of a team of 150 people, executing a $300 million annual budget, the operations of 4,000 personnel worldwide, the nation's Master Clock, two world-class supercomputing facilities, and six military Oceanographic Survey Ships. He also had the privilege and honor of serving as the Commanding Officer for the Navy’s Global Atmospheric and Ocean Modeling Supercomputing Center (Fleet Numerical, in Monterey, CA) and as the Commanding Officer for the Navy’s only forward deployed Operational Oceanography support center in Yokosuka, Japan. He served twice in the Pentagon and was Joint-qualified serving with the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs.

Pettigrew received his Masters of Science in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School, and received his Bachelors of Science in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University.

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