The American Petroleum Institute issued a new recommended practice that revises recommended procedures to promote and maintain safe and healthy working conditions for personnel in drilling and well servicing operations. First published in 1981, the latest version of Recommended Practice 54 (RP 54) applies to rotary drilling rigs, well servicing rigs, and special services as they relate to operations on location, API said.
It noted that major revisions in RP 54’s latest edition include a section on flowback operations that is key for safe well testing, revised requirements for facility and site process hazard assessment and mitigation, and the introduction of formal risk assessments as well as expanded provisions for offshore operations.
“The safety of oil and gas operations is of paramount importance to our industry, and API continues to lead the way through the creation and revision of key standards that improve safety and environmental protection,” said Debra Phillips, vice-president of API global industry services.
“Each day, more than 11.9 million bbl of oil are pumped from thousands of wells in the US to meet the needs of consumers. Standards like RP 54 help the industry provide this important resource safely and sustainably,” Phillips said.
The American National Standards Institute accredits API’s recommended standards and practices development program, recognizing it not only for its technical rigor but also for its third-party accreditation that facilitates acceptance by state, federal, and increasingly international regulators, including 96 references by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, API noted.
It also recently published a handbook—“Rules to Live By”—that contains fundamental safety reminders for workers and employers.
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