Assessment of Safety Standards at Onshore Salt Cavity & Naturally Occurring Reservoir Storage Sites

HSE is inviting tenders from individuals or organisations to assess the safety standards at boreholes associated with underground salt cavity and naturally occurring reservoir gas storage developments and to assess the wider geological issues affecting safety at these developments.

The successful tenderer will be required:-

• To assess the adequacy of notifications submitted for solution mined and naturally occurring reservoir gas storage sites equivalent to standards under the Borehole Sites and Operations Regulations 1995 (BSOR)

• To meet with the gas cavity storage site operators and developers to agree the minimum information that is required to meet COMAH pre-construction safety report geological and borehole integrity demonstrations

• To assess the standard of well design, construction and integrity demonstration in COMAH pre-construction and pre-operational safety reports

• To assess the standard of geological demonstration in COMAH pre-construction and pre-operational safety reports required to secure safe storage of gas within reservoirs and formed cavities

• To provide to HSE written conclusions on the standard of notifications and/or demonstrations

• To meet with other assessment team members to agree the overall assessment conclusions

Assessment of the standard of compliance with BSOR Reg 6(1) notifications will include.

• Confirmation the notification contains all information equivalent to Schedule 1, Part 1 of BSOR

• A demonstration of compliance with the principles of the Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 (DCR)

• A demonstration the COMAH site operator has followed his policies, procedures and good industry practice

Assessment of the standard of borehole integrity demonstration within the COMAH safety report will include.

• Assessment of the link between the measures taken and the major accident hazard scenarios

• Assessment of how the measures taken will prevent foreseeable failures which could lead to major accidents

• Assessment of the adequacy of the design and construction of the borehole

• Assessment of the how the principles of DCR have been applied to the design, construction and operation of the borehole connecting the surface to the underground cavities or reservoir

• A demonstration the COMAH site operator has followed his policies, procedures and good industry practice

Assessment of the standard of geological demonstration within COMAH safety reports will include:

• Assessment of the link between the measures taken and the major accident hazards

• Assessment of how the measures taken will prevent foreseeable failures which could lead to major accidents

• Assessment of the adequacy of the design and construction of the underground cavities

• A demonstration the COMAH site operator has followed his policies, procedures and good industry practice