The Expert Witness Marine Blog

For The Best Spill Containment Strategy, Consult With Stewart Technology Associates

Beth Bowes-Carter

In order to be well prepared for potential accidents, a marine drilling operation needs to have a spill containment plan ready to put into action right away. Of course, if that spill containment method ultimately proves to be ineffective, then it won’t matter how prepared the operation was or how quickly they reacted. This is why so many in the offshore drilling industry turn to Stewart Technology Associates. The rapid analysis and consultancy STA is able to provide when facing a major problem, such as an oil spill, has been repeatedly illustrated as a valuable resource to marine drilling operations.

Stewart Technology Associates can assess the current plan you have in place and then help you determine how to make changes if they feel your oil spill containment won’t be as efficient as it could be. The goal is to both minimize the damage the spill causes to the surrounding environment as well as salvage as much of the spilled oil as possible. Working towards both of these goals saves the drilling operation financially not to mention avoids any bad publicity.

Any kind of negative coverage can also impact a drilling contractor’s bottom line and STA helps ensure that doesn’t happen. When there are questions that need to be answered regarding what went wrong in an oil spill, Stewart Technology Associates can also conduct marine accident investigation in a manner that will get those answers. Establishing a relationship with STA is something drilling companies all over the world have found to yield long term value.

 

A Marine Accident Investigation Should Only Be Conducted By Experts In The Offshore Drilling Field

After the early confusion and panic dissipates following an oil spill on a marine drilling rig, there remain a lot of questions. Everyone involved will want to know what went wrong and in some cases, making this conclusion is easy as the cause will be obvious. That isn’t always the case and actually more often than not, the specific cause of an accident will be more complex and not easily determined. This is when a drilling operation conducts a marine accident investigation.

Having experts look into all aspects of the accident allows them to ultimately identify the chain of events they believe led to the spill. Without the knowledge of what mistakes were made, it is impossible to make the necessary changes to prevent a similar accident from happening in the future. Anyone that works in the marine drilling field knows how damaging an oil spill can be. Ideally, the operation will have used effective spill containment and oil spill cleanup methods to decrease the environmental damage and salvage some of the spilled oil. This also lessens the potential financial hit suffered by the drilling company.

In addition to being brought in to conduct a marine accident investigation, Stewart Technology Associates can also analyze these other areas and offer recommendations on how they can be improved. The range of services that STA is able to provide has made the consultancy and engineering firm a respected name in the marine drilling industry and one that is called upon by drilling operations across the world.

STA Has Used OrcaFlex Software For Years To Great Results

The industry-wide reputation that Stewart Technology Associates has earned over the past 25 plus years is the result of the consistently high level of services that the company has provided a diverse client base which includes major oil companies and government agencies. The extensive experience possessed by the team at STA is nearly unparalleled in the offshore drilling field and that gives a tremendous amount of credibility to the analysis offered by the consultancy firm. This is true when it comes to the analysis of offshore structures such as pile anchors, wave power systems and steel catenary risers as well as emergency policies related to spill containment and oil spill cleanup.

A long term partnership that Stewart Technology Associates has had software company Orcina has proven to be a valuable one. Like many across the industry, Orcina’s OrcaFlex software is used by STA to  gather and analyze information related to a drilling operation. STA’s been using OrcaFlex for years through each new version and release. Over 170 organizations now consider OrcaFlex a standard part of their operation and that speaks volumes for the software.

Continued innovation is a critical part of this industry and that’s something both Orcina and STA have provided throughout the field. A drilling operation that is proactive when it comes to analysis of their structures finds they’re at a reduced risk for damaging accidents and also benefit from a greater level of productivity. With the assistance of Stewart Technology Associates, significant improvements can be made that will pay off in the future.

STA Has Spent Decades Improving The Spill Containment Plans Of Clients All Over The World

A marine drilling rig is a complicated piece of equipment and the operation surrounding it has a lot of variables that can go wrong at any time. The key to a successful operation isn’t hoping that mistakes aren’t made but rather expecting that they will be and having a plan in place when they do. This is the difference between a marine accident that is catastrophic and one that results in minimal damage. Therein lies the value of a relationship with Stewart Technology Associates.

As one of the industry’s most highly respected consultancy firms, STA is able to provide a tremendous amount of insight to clients on everything from the efficiency of their offshore structures like steel catenary risers to the expected effectiveness of their spill containment plan. STA has been a staple in the field of offshore drilling since being founded in 1986 by Bil Stewart. After years of working in the industry, Stewart recognized a number of areas where his particular knowledge base could be beneficial to drilling operations.

He started the company committed to improving the productivity, efficiency and safety of drilling operations all over the world and has been doing so ever since. The team at STA can analyze your spill containment plan and provide valuable improvements that will reduce the damage of a potential spill. They can also provide guidance on the most effective oil spill cleanup methods that can help salvage some of the oil rather than let it all go to waste.

STA's Insight Leads To Major Improvements To The Oil Spill Cleanup Process

The examination of the processes used in the marine drilling industry is vital for operations that want to remain successful over the long run. This kind of analysis is important in every industry and has proven to be a vital aspect of the work done within the drilling field. Any time a mistake occurs with equipment or structures being used, an analysis of the accident should be done in order to identify what went wrong and what can be altered so similar accidents don’t happen again.

But in the case of an oil spill, those kinds of issues can’t be dealt with until the after the more pressing issues have been addressed, including oil spill cleanup. A drilling operation that utilizes oil spill cleanup methods that are proven to work will find that damages they incur as the result of a spill are significantly less than they would be otherwise. This is because they avoid serious harm done to the environment which can have costly ramifications in addition to being able to salvage much of the oil that’s been spilled instead of losing it all.

By bringing in Stewart Technology Associates, one of the most credible names in the industry, an operation can take an accurate look at their current oil spill plan and determine how it can be improved. With decades of experience in the field, Stewart Technology Associates has the kind of insight that can lead to a significantly more efficient and effective spill containment and oil spill cleanup processes.

STA's Use Of The Latest OrcaFlex Software Is A Factor In The Company's Long Term Success

Stewart Technology Associates was founded in 1986 and over the course of the past 25 years has become firmly established as one of the most valuable names in the offshore drilling industry. This has been accomplished by always utilizing the latest technology, including the newest software from leading developer Orcina. Their OrcaFlex products are widely used in the marine drilling field, including by over 170 worldwide organizations.

OrcaFlex has been a primary tool used by STA since the beginning for design, analysis and other projects. The versatility of the OrcaFlex software has provided STA with the ability to continually expand upon the different types of analysis that can be performed, which has increased the value that STA is able to provide all of their clients. By consistently delivering extremely credible results, the clients of Stewart Technology Associates have developed a strong trust of the company.

Drilling contractors and oil companies that call upon STA for riser analysis, pipe lay analysis, jack-up analysis, anchor analysis, mooring analysis or one of the other services that are available are confident that the information that is collected will be used to identify adjustments that could be made to that will improve the productivity, safety and efficiency of the drilling operation.  It’s rare to find someone in this field that has the same kind of diverse and well-rounded knowledge possessed by STA and that’s one of the many aspects of the company that sets them apart from others in the field.

A Marine Accident Investigation Can Result In Litigation So The Results Must Be Credible

Among the many issues that will need to be addressed following an accident in a marine drilling operation is what went wrong that led to the accident. Determining the exact cause of a marine accident isn’t always easy and the truth may implicate a specific individual. When that happens, a legal battle can ensue. That’s why an unbiased company may be brought in to carry out the marine accident investigation. This is one of the many services that are offered by Stewart Technology Associates.

When STA is brought in to conduct a marine accident investigation, it’s because a drilling contractor can’t afford the results of the investigation to be unreliable or run the risk of them being proven wrong. This isn’t a concern with Stewart Technology Associates because for more than 25 years the company has proven to be credible. The results of a marine accident investigation completed by STA will be backed by diverse and legitimate experience in the field.

Furthermore, if those results are called into question, STA founder and CEO Bil Stewart is prepared to supplement those findings with expert testimony in court if that’s needed. This gives clients the confidence they need to hire Stewart Technology Associates to perform a marine accident investigation and trust that they’ll be able to count on the results. STA also provides clients with additional material to complement the marine accident investigation, including technical reports, which offer increased credibility and further strengthen the case that’s being made.

Drilling Operations Of All Sizes Benefit From Spill Containment Analysis

The founder and CEO of Stewart Technology Associates, Bil Stewart, has been working on improving oil spill containment systems since the 1980s. He recognized early on that the processes being implemented in these situations often weren’t very effective. Stewart saw ways that he could help drilling operations improve their spill containment strategies. He founded Stewart Technology Associates in 1986 and has since worked with offshore drilling operations from all over the world. STA is now one of the most trusted names in the industry and offers a wide range of services.

For analysis and insight on the equipment used in the offshore drilling field, Stewart Technology Associates has the kind of experience and expertise that can be counted on. That experience comes from having worked with operations that vary in size and scale. A spill containment plan that is appropriate for a larger drilling operation may not be appropriate for one that is smaller and vice versa.

That being said, there may be aspects from one that can be applied to the other and STA’s diverse background allows for those connections to be made. Not only is Stewart Technology Associates prepared to address any spill containment issues for a client, they can also assist with improving the oil spill cleanup efforts. Marine accidents and oil spills can be disastrous but they don’t have to be if the operation is prepared to react when they occur.  The clients of Stewart Technology Associates are ready to act quickly when these situations happen and suffer less as a result.

Efficient Oil Spill Cleanup Is Important For Any Marine Drilling Operation

Drilling operations that don’t wait for an accident to assess the effectiveness of their spill containment and oil spill cleanup contingency plans benefit from this kind of preemptive approach. There is likely to be a degree of chaos when an oil spill occurs. When the operation has confidence that their response, if well executed, will keep the damage to a minimum, they can avoid much of the confusion that typically accompanies these situations.

Oil spills, as most people are well aware at this point, can cause harm to the surrounding environment but drilling operations also spend a lot of money and resources during the oil spill cleanup. The more efficient that process, the better for everyone involved. Bringing in Stewart Technology Associates is something many of the world’s largest oil companies have done to successfully improve their oil spill cleanup strategies before they were needed. Clients continue to trust the analysis STA provides because they’ve been building a reputation in the industry for more than 25 years by consistently delivering value on multiple levels.

Since being founded in 1986, STA’s client base has come from many different countries around the world and continues to grow. Stewart Technology Associates and their expertise in the field has proven to be a valuable asset to these clients because they’re able to make adjustments not just to their emergency processes like oil spill cleanup but also to the operation of their offshore structures, including single point moorings, pile anchors, flexible risers, steel catenary risers, wave power systems and more.

Improvements To A Drilling Operation’s Wave Power Systems Are Made With The Help Of STA

Stewart Technology Associates continues to be one of the most respected names in the offshore drilling industry by consistently meeting the diverse needs of clients all over the world. By providing expert analysis of the equipment, processes and structures used by operations in the field, STA has been able to help clients improve on areas of weakness and make great strides in their overall productivity and efficiency.  By collecting data related to a drilling operation’s wave power systems, for example, STA is able to isolate aspects that may be underperforming, develop a plan for correcting the problem and then provide guidance as the solution is implemented.

This is all done using the latest technology that’s available, including OrcaFlex software from Orcina. The analysis of wave power systems is just one example of the services that are provided by Stewart Technology Associates. That same expertise can be applied to other components of a drilling operation, including liftboat design, steel catenary risers, single point moorings, pile anchors and more.

When an accident occurs, clients can call upon Stewart Technology Associates to determine the cause of through a marine accident investigation. Operations that work with STA appreciate the immediacy with which the team tackles a problem because anyone that works within this field knows that the slightest hesitation is all it takes for a minor incident to become a major catastrophe. Long time clients of know they can trust Stewart Technology Associates because that’s something that’s been earned over the years through quality work.