Bringing Safety to the Field: Safety Engineers and Geologists Working Together in Outcrops

Abstract

Exploration, drilling and production are the main activities of upstream segment and defines strategy, guidelines and budgets of many O&G companies. However, none of these can happens without an important first step, where there is a huge work from geocientists: the field geological studies, where for years geologists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers have studied surface outcrops together to determine subsurface geological models for oil reservoirs. Although this work on outcrops is also part of the O&G segment, and has also been developed for years and years, the safety culture of these sites is not the same as on oil rigs, offshore platforms and onshore oil fields. In this sense, and seeking to add value for people and build a new safety culture, the present study puts in place a new element to this equation, having safety engineers and geoscientists - mainly geologists and geophysicists - developing together all the activities of geology field studies, promoting a new safer way to carry out an important and necessary study for the entire upstream chain. Thus, the aim of this study is to present the results that emerged from the teamwork between safety engineers and geologists, in the geoscience training activities of field courses in several outcrops in Brazil, South Africa and Argentina. These field courses are part of a main training program for geologists, geophysicists, petroleum engineers and other related professionals, coordinated by a corporate university of an integrated petroleum company, with national and international operation.