Since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, many offshore oil companies and lawmakers have taken steps to ensure that a similar incident would not happen again. In addition to stricter regulations and additional safety equipment, one offshore drilling company has created a new training facility for those entering the industry.
Offshore Training Newcastle was created by Newcastle Airport, Advanced Industrial Solutions (AIS) and Maersk Training. Located at the Newcastle Airport in the UK, the center "will specialize in emergency response training and can safely and accurately recreate scenarios such as helicopter and oil rig fires," according to Tyne and Wear.
The center cost £1 million, or more than $1.5 million, and includes "a three-story offshore platform rig with full size helicopter landing pad, a helicopter simulator and internal structures which mirror those on an offshore installation." It opened this month, and has been accredited by the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (OPITO), the UK's oil and gas industry training agency. More than 6,000 people can be trained in the facility each year, and some workers have already begun training.
With so many new investments in the safety of the offshore drilling industry, including efforts to improve equipment and offer stronger training for employees, it's important that offshore project managers also know the necessary offshore oilfield insurance. In an industry as dangerous and under such close scrutiny after the 2010 BP oil spill, having the best equipment, and the right insurance, can provide the necessary protection to both machinery and industry professionals involved.