One of a continuing series of presentations on the Varanus Island gas pipeline ruptures, explosion & fire of 3 June 2008. The focus of this paper is inquiries, but other papers have focussed on business impacts in WA, Australia and internationally.

1. Christine F Miller
Consultant
Business Continuity Manager
Helping build business resilience
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2. DISCLAIMER
My remarks should NOT be
considered the views of the
Australian Government or any of
its departments or agencies for
which I have worked. Any
information in this presentation is
drawn from public sources.
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3. Overview
WHERE is Varanus Island?
WHAT happened on
3 June 2008?
INQUIRIES & IMPACTS
LESSONS LEARNT since
Longford & Varanus incidents
Helping build business resilience
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4. Varanus Island
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5. Apache &
Santos
Apache & HJV - Apache,
Santos Kufpec & Tap Oil
Woodside
ChevronTexaco,
Santos &
ExxonMobil
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10. Pipelines entering the plant from the sea
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11. Control room staff
on a quiet day 11

12. Helping build business resilience
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13. SHOW VIDEO
from
Varanus
Island
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15. Helping build business resilience
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19. Helping build business resilience
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20. Helping build business resilience VARANUS ISLAND
4 June 2008 20

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22. Helping build business resilience
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23. Helping build business resilience
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24. Helping build business resilience
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25. Initial
inspections
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26. Crikey 1 - After
the explosion
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27. Crikey 2
– The
damaged
pipes
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28. Crikey 3 –
A piece of
pipe
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29. Crikey 4 – The
corroded pipe
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30. Helping build business resilience
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31. National
Offshore
Petroleum
Safety
Authority
(NOPSA)
reported
7 October 2008
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32. 1330 hrs 3/6/08
1427 hrs
Sketch from
NOPSA Report
7 October 2008
3 4 1 2
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33. FINDINGS - NOPSA INQUIRY
Possible breaches of WA legislation
“Some findings…may
constitute
non-compliance with pipeline
conditions” (p 37).
Helping build business resilience
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34. The Senate
Economics Committee
made
6 Recommendations
Helping build business resilience
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35. Helping build business resilience
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36. Offshore Petroleum Regulation Inquiry
Australia’s Minister for
Resources & Energy
Martin Ferguson AM MP
WA Minister for
Mines & Petroleum
Norman Moore MLC
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37. Offshore Petroleum Regulation Inquiry
Reduced terms of reference & publication
David Agostini
Former GM, Woodside
NW Shelf &
a Non-Executive
Director, Neptune Marine
Kym Bills
Former CEO
Australian Transport
Safety Bureau (ATSB)
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38. The WA Gas Supply &
Emergency Management Committee (GS&EMC)
Government of Western Australia
Chaired by Jason Banks,
Office of Energy
WA Coordinator of Energy
GS&EMC
conducted
WA’s Gas
Supply &
Emergency
Management
Review
Announced by
WA Minister for Energy
Peter Collier MLC
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39. Helping build business resilience
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40. •WA State
•WA Local
•The Commonwealth
Helping build business resilience
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41. Following 3 June 2008,
WA’s business continuity
experienced a non-routine
business disruption
or a supply chain disruption
Helping build business resilience
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42. Then Western Australian
Premier Carpenter
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43. WA
Office of Energy
gas pipelines
Helping build business resilience
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45. Reduced gas & power
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46. Recommissioned
coal fired
power
stations
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47. Mineral/petroleum production
Woodside gas processing, Karratha
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48. Mineral
processing
Fertiliser &
ammonia
Alumina Nickel smelting
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49. Logging & construction
Cement production
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50. Reduced
gas
impacted
industrial
laundries
Hospitals
Hospitality
and tourism
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51. Food processing
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52. Reduced
beer &
soft
drink
supplies
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53. www.tisn.gov.au
Helping build business resilience
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54. Economic & Energy
Security Dependencies
Prime
Minister
Kevin Rudd
Wayne Swan
Treasurer
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55. Lessons Learnt Summary 1
“Everyone is a reporter”
Expect insurance delays
Expect inquiries
Helping build business resilience
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56. Lessons Learnt Summary 2
Beware “risk blindness”
Seek “collective mindfulness” =
HROs & organisational resilience
Helping build business resilience
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57. Lessons Learnt Summary 3
Inject scenarios beyond the local
& maximise options for your
reliability professionals
Helping build business resilience
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58. International Safety Quality
Environment Management
Association (ISQEM)
http://www.isqem.com/
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59. Any questions?
b4crisis@grapevine.net.au
Cell/Mobile +61 416 113 250
Photos courtesy of
Neptune Marine -
repairing Varanus Island’s
pipelines
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