Remote site issue tops Security Committee’s Vienna agenda
The latest Security Committee meeting, held in Vienna on 2nd-4th of April, focused in on the consequences of recent tragic events in Algeria. In response, a work group tasked with creating a guideline document on “Security for operations in remote sites” was launched.
According to Chair Jean-Louis Kibort of Total, the meeting was exceptionally well-attended, attracting a wide cross section of members, many of whom travelled considerable distances to attend. It was also highly interactive, he said, commending Vice Chair Paul Reither of OMV for what proved to be a superbly organized event.
In addition to Algeria, the agenda included discussions about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on security measurement, guidelines for security considerations during operations project lifecycle and guidelines on managing kidnapping risk.
During the course of the Vienna session, Michael J. Ard of Marathon Oil was elected as a Committee Vice Chair, succeeding Massimo Ignesti of ENI, who stepped down due to retirement. In addition, a delegation from the International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) attended to take part in a discussion on security in Geophysical operations.
A cultural highlight of the Vienna gathering was a guided tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna’s Museum of Fine Arts. “This was followed by an exquisite dinner on site with guest speaker Laszlo Szucs from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)”, Jean-Louis said. “The Security Committee is continuing to develop its structures and is now seen as a reference in the oil and gas security community.”
