Security for oil and gas refinery in Norway

Security for production processes and personal safety at Northern Europe’s largest oil and gas refinery has been the responsibility of Securitas since 1986.

The oil and gas industry is the engine of Norwegian economy and highly regulated. Nothing is left to chance in the business. The oil authority in Norway imposes strict rules and regulations regarding control and documentation and constantly monitors compliance.

A security supplier with the necessary expertise and experience in the business is therefore vital. In the 80s it was sufficient to provide a man in a uniform –  “trucks to the right and other vehicles to the left” – but today, the demands are quite different.

At the huge, 24/7 complex near Bergen, all security officers have between one and two months of site-specific training in addition to the mandatory basic training and many other specialized training modules. In each part of the site, there are specific trade-related expertise requirements. All employees at the site also have to go through a two-day security training program conducted by Securitas before they start work

Personal safety comes first. However, keeping production running smoothly is equally important. If something should happen that causes an interruption to this process, it may have large financial impact.

The Bergen site is Norway’s largest oil refinery and the oil port is Europe’s second largest, after Rotterdam. Each year, the site processes 10 million tons of crude oil, all from the Norwegian shelf, into petrol, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other light petroleum products. Five or six ships per day call at the port and there are 14 docks located around the port. No non-authorized person can enter.

Securitas has been the security supplier since 1986. The contract has evolved each year and grown into what it is today. The services now include access control, staffing the monitoring center, receptionist services and beat patrol. In addition, the security officers also supply a transportation service for the employees or visitors within the vast site.

The demands on a security officer in the oil and gas industry today are ever-increasing. As most processes today are computerized, they need a reasonable level of IT skills, for example. They have to have a solid base of know-how, which they then have to build on continuously. Therefore, the customers feel it is important that the turnover among security officers is low because of that, to maintain a high level of knowledge and competence.

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