Statoil Launches In Amenas Investigation

Norway’s Statoil announced Tuesday that it was launching a security investigation into January’s terrorist attack on the gas plant at In Amenas in southeastern Algeria, where several dozen oil workers were killed.

Statoil said that the objective of the investigation will be to help it make further improvements to its security, risk assessment and emergency preparedness. The firm has appointed retired Lieutenant General Torgeir Hagen, the former head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, to head the investigation.

The investigation team will examine facts relating to the terrorist attack, including:

Risk and security assessments, security arrangements and emergency preparedness, and their implementation directly related to the In Amenas gas plant prior to the terrorist attack.Notification of and the emergency response to the attack, including interaction with government authorities and entities and partners.Potential non-conformities with and areas of improvement in Statoil's existing security and emergency preparedness systems and procedures.Potential areas of improvement related to organisational capabilities - including competencies, roles and responsibilities, training, culture and capacity within the areas of security and emergency preparedness.

The team will deliver its final report by mid-September 2013, when it will be made public.

Statoil confirmed the last of its employees to have been killed at In Amenas in January. BP named the final victim among its staff earlier this month. Together, the two companies lost nine employees in the attack.

"Many people from different countries became victims of brutal international terrorism at In Amenas. In Statoil we lost five of our cherished employees. The terrorists, and no one else, are responsible for the attack. They stand guilty of causing all the anguish and suffering. Our responsibility is to learn and do what we can to further strengthen the safety of our employees for the future," Statoil Chairman Svein Rennemo commented in a statement Tuesday.

"We will investigate to determine the chain of events before, during and after the terrorist attack in order to learn and further improve within the areas of security and emergency preparedness. It has been important for us to obtain external expertise on terrorism and security that will contribute to this work. In addition we will utilise the investigation expertise found in the company."

A former engineer, Jon is an award-winning editor who has covered the technology, engineering and energy sectors since the mid-1990s. Email Jon at jmainwaring@rigzone.com.

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