On solid ground

On 1 May this year, Sigve Knudsen took over as chief executive of Havtil for a fixed term of six years. With his experience from multiple management positions in the agency, he brings an in-depth knowledge of both the administration and the industries within the agency's area of responsibility. 

"Havtil has an important social mission, a clear mandate and a wide range of means which enable us to influence security developments.

In short, this is an interesting and significant job. I am proud and humbled to take on the task - and I am highly motivated to do so”, he says. 

Overview and context 

Knudsen sees a number of current challenges facing operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. He emphasises that these must be managed appropriately but also points out the importance of balance in the management of the overall risk picture faced by the companies. 

"The most important challenge now may not be a single case or area, but our ability to maintain an overview and holistic risk management, and to understand the connections.

The individual risk factors in health, environment, safety, emergency preparedness and security are not isolated entities, but are closely linked and impact each other. 

Technological development often has a positive effect on safety, but the use of artificial intelligence can clearly also present security challenges in the future.

The geopolitical security situation and the threat landscape within the petroleum industry are serious, and dealing with these issues is high on the agenda. This is something to which both the companies and we at Havtil dedicate a lot of resources", says the new director.  

Bedrock 

"At the same time, we must be attentive to the bedrock of our safety work. I am referring to the prevention of injuries and incidents, classic topics within major incident risk and the working environment, such as maintenance, well control, hydrocarbon leaks, personal injuries, chemical exposure and so on.

These are areas which require continuous focus and concerted efforts from the companies to ensure safety and further improvement. We simply cannot risk falling behind here," Knudsen emphasizes.

The most important challenge now may not be a single case or area, but our ability to maintain an overview and holistic risk management, and to understand the connections.

Oil & Gas

The new Havtil director is also keen for the authorities to prioritise their efforts appropriately. Although the agency has been assigned new areas of responsibility in addition to oil and gas, the petroleum industry remains the largest industry on the Norwegian continental shelf - and will continue to be so for a long time to come.

And even though it is the companies that are responsible for safety - that allocation of responsibility is indisputable - Knudsen is clear that the role of the authorities must not be downplayed. 

"We would not have reached the point we are at now without high safety ambitions, clear regulatory requirements and strong supervision. That is how it is, and that is how it must continue to be. 

Havtil has an important role. We must be strong in our field of expertise and clear in our manner of supervision. It is our job to set requirements and check that the companies take responsibility, manage risk, and ensure continuous improvement.

In this way, we are helping to achieve the Government's ambition for the petroleum industry and the other ocean industries on the Norwegian continental shelf to be world leaders in health, safety and the environment.” 

Balancing act 

Being Havtil's director means taking decisions and ensuring a direction that stands firmly on a safety and working environment foundation. At the same time, it means balancing the initiatives, wishes and requirements of different parties. 

Opinions on safety – and on which path to reaching the goal is most appropriate – can vary. Knudsen has led the tripartite cooperation in the Regulatory Forum for a number of years and has experience of both consensus and major differences between the arguments. 

“In theory, the parties share the same goal; Everyone wants a high level of health, safety and environmental standards. But in practice, based on the interests of the parties, we may differ slightly in how we view the most appropriate path to reaching that goal.

It is then important to understand the individual parties' basis for the positions they take or the opinions they hold, and to help discuss and shed light on the issues arising from differing points of view.

Collaboration is demanding in the sense that not everyone thinks the same way about what is best. But if we understand each other, we often arrive at solutions which lead us to the goal, even if everyone is not necessarily one hundred percent satisfied," Knudsen points out. 

“And the goal is not necessarily for everyone to agree with Havtil. Provided we have a good professional and administrative justification for the choices we make, we must be able to withstand resistance and be engaged in discussions.  

The primary objective is to do the job we have been assigned to do. In short: Solve the social mission. This is what is important – and what drives us.”

Important role

Energy Minister Terje Aasland believes that with Sigve Knudsen as director, Havtil has gained an experienced leader with a valuable insight into both the organization and the stakeholders in the ocean industries. 

"Havtil has an extremely important role to play in these times in which we find ourselves," the Minister of Energy emphasizes. 

"The production and transport of Norwegian oil and gas has become increasingly important to European energy security. In light of this, safety on the Norwegian continental shelf has become even more significant.  

Simultaneously, secure operations and a safe working environment are becoming integral to the development of new ocean industries," says Aasland.

The Ministry of Energy (ED) is the parent ministry for Havtil and thus the Havtil director's employer.