In our last full-scale exercise, the team simulated and managed the potential effects of a collision between a seismic vessel and an oil tanker, preparing them to deal with a worst case scenario involving injuries, fatalities, significant vessel damage and an oil spill.

For the first time, we involve an offshore management team located at our seismic simulator facility at the University of South- Eastern Norway, in Horten.

The vessel crew in the simulator kicked off the exercise, trying to avoid collision with a tanker in transit. Following the script, the collision was inevitable and hard, with serious consequences for people on board, the environment, and the ship. The captain of the seismic vessel notified Operations management immediately, and our operational emergency response team was scrambled in Oslo. Their role is to support the vessel crew in taking care of personnel, providing external assistance and coordinating resources. A strategic emergency response team gathered in the PGS board room in Oslo, to manage strategic decisions and business continuity, including efficient communication with key strategic stakeholders.

At the end of the exercise, senior management conducted a press conference. Invited journalists posed challenging questions, presenting the top management with an opportunity to train their media handling skills. The press conference was streamed to the simulator, so the crew could watch.

This was a valuable exercise with many identified areas for improvement. Communication lines, between the vessel crew at the simulator facility and onshore management in Oslo, worked well as did this new form of exercise including vessel teams in the training.