Learning from Offshore Well Accidents through Risk-Based Process Safety and Resilience Engineering

Over recent decades, large-magnitude offshore well accidents have exposed structural weaknesses in well integrity systems, operational discipline, and process safety governance, with significant impacts on people, the environment, and assets. These events reinforce the need for integrated approaches that move beyond predominantly reactive well-control practices. In this context, this article focuses on a systematic reassessment of landmark historical incidents, analyzing them through an integrated perspective that combines process safety, lifecycle well integrity, and asset governance. The study specifically emphasizes the combined application of the Risk-Based Process Safety (RBPS) model, the principles of ISO 16530, and the asset management framework of ISO 55001. The central problem addressed is the lack of a structured model that quantitatively integrates governance, engineering, and organizational learning, thereby enabling consistent, risk-based evaluation and anticipation of loss of well integrity. The objective of the article is to propose and demonstrate the applicability of the Risk-Based Integrity Resilience Model (RBIRM), which quantifies the Probability of Loss of Well Integrity and links process safety, integrity, and asset management indicators. The methodology is based on a structured analysis of RBPS elements, quantitative maturity mapping using historical probabilistic data, and modeling through Fault Tree Analysis and Bayesian Belief Networks. The results indicate a consistent evolution from reactive approaches toward proactive, data-driven integrity governance, with potential application in offshore systems.

Keywords: Risk-based process safety, offshore safety, resilience engineering, well integrity, reliability engineering.