Petrochem/Utilities Industry Trends

Security on the High Seas

Issue Table of Contents

Security on the High Seas Building a Pipeline to a Secure Future A New Tool for Security Assessments Related Standards and Publications

News of attacks on Iraqi oil installations have become almost commonplace. Yet among the barrage of news clips and sound bites, one attack in particular has stood out — the April 24, 2004, suicide bombing of Iraq’s Basra maritime oil terminal. What made it unusual was that, unlike most attacks made against Iraqi oil interests, this was the first-known attack against a maritime facility since the start of the war.

The incident again highlighted the vulnerability of all types of petroleum and petrochemical facilities to attack. But the industry — particularly in the United States — already has been actively working at beefing up its own security measures. In 2002, the American Petroleum Institute (API) issued its first set of guidelines on the subject. More recently, it has created guidelines specifically for offshore facilities. In March 2003, the organization released RP 70, Security for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations, and then in May 2004, released RP 70I, Security for Worldwide Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations.

“The new document was written with the international oil and gas industry in mind,” says Tim Sampson, API coordinator for drilling and production operations. “RP 70 was focused on U.S. operations and made references to the U.S. Coast Guard and a lot of U.S.-related activity and standards. RP 70I is focused on security for worldwide oil and gas operations.”

The release of these documents reflects the increasing emphasis by the U.S. government on strengthening the security of offshore operations and the close partnership the industry continues to foster with government agencies. In 2002, Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act. While much of the Act centered on increasing the security and safety of U.S. ports, it also required 50 of the largest offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to submit security assessments and security plans to the Coast Guard by January 1, 2004.

“Part of the reason we published these documents was to give those oil and gas companies who didn’t necessarily have to meet the regulatory requirements but wanted to have a security program in place a tool to use to develop a security program for those other facilities that were outside the scope of the regulation,” says Sampson. “While a lot of companies started using these documents to help develop their security plans, they are also looking at those regulations to see if they need to comply with the regulations or also if there are some elements within the regulations that are beneficial for their operations from a security perspective.”

To create RP 70 and RP 70I, API brought together a committee of industry experts. In addition, it sought the input of government agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service. API hopes that by providing these guidelines, it can help the industry ensure its own security and avoid the need for more prescriptive government requirements.

“Many of the different industry segments have really made some major steps toward how can we improve security and there are a lot of folks working together in government and the industry to make sure we address the issues,” Sampson says. “That’s where these guidelines and recommended practices fit in. They’re just additional tools to help companies and industries meet those security needs.”