Critical Juncture 2: Oil Leak (Initial Response)
Your team must wait until there’s at least 5mins left before confirming its decision.
Context
In the challenging operational landscape of the Amazon, you are facing an unexpected crisis triggered by adverse weather conditions and a suspected act of sabotage. The heavy rainfall in the region has resulted in severe flooding and turned the terrain into a waterlogged quagmire.
Amidst this natural onslaught, a significant oil leak has been detected along one of your pipeline arteries located in proximity to the Solimões Drilling Site, which represents 50% of your daily production capacity. This development couldn’t come at a worse time as you enter the final phase of a two year remediation of the recent oil spill, the site of which is located 50 Km downstream from this drilling site. The new leak raises concerns about the potential for environmental damage, made even more alarming by your security’s suspicion that the leak may be a deliberate act of sabotage.
Task
Select the best option to respond to the newly discovered oil leak considering safety, environmental impact, operational continuity, and potential economic consequences.
Options
Discuss and fully consider the options below with your team members.
Gradually shut down production processes in a controlled manner to ensure safety and minimize operational disruptions. This can provide time for proper shutdown procedures and equipment maintenance.
- Advantages: Controlled Process; Minimized Disruption
- Disadvantages: Extended Risk Exposure; Resource Allocation
Temporarily halt only the specific production units or operations directly linked to the spill, while allowing unaffected areas to continue operating. Request additional river barge support to address distribution changes.
- Advantages: Balanced Approach; Operational Continuity
- Disadvantages: Environmental Impact; Complex Management
Halt production temporarily to conduct a thorough impact assessment of the spill’s effects on the environment, local communities, and operations.
- Advantages: Informed Decision-Making; Minimized Reaction Mistakes
- Disadvantages: Time-Consuming; Potentially Escalating Environmental Damage
Conduct an immediate security evaluation of the facility to identify vulnerabilities and potential threats. Depending on the findings, you might decide to halt production temporarily to address security concerns and prevent further incidents.
- Advantages: Preventing Further Incidents; Addressing Root Causes
- Disadvantages: Resource Diversion; Potential for Overreaction
Commence an immediate, specialized team deployment to rapidly contain the oil leak while safeguarding operational continuity. The emphasis on swift containment provides the advantage of sustaining ongoing operations, but includes a steep resource bill and additional safety risks during a high-stakes operation in adverse environmental conditions.
- Advantages: Expedited Containment; Uninterrupted Operations
- Disadvantages: Elevated Safety Risk for Response Team; Enhanced Resource Allocation
Decision
After carefully assessing all of the options above, choose the best option (select below) to respond to the newly discovered oil leak considering safety, environmental impact, operational continuity, and potential economic consequences.
