Remi Eriksen, President & CEO DNV GL; Binyamin Zomer, Noble Energy Israel Country Manager; and Scott Childres, Noble Energy Vice President, Eastern Mediterranean (photo: PRNewsFoto/DNV GL)

DNV GL - Business Assurance USA, Inc. has issued to Noble Energy a certificate of compliance to the SEMS (Safety and Environmental Systems) standard, which represents the highest criteria for safe operations of offshore drilling platforms. This compliance certification is based on audits of Noble Energy’s facilities and workflows supporting the Tamar natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.

“Achieving SEMS compliance is tangible proof of the company’s commitment to safety and environmental leadership,” says Remi Eriksen, President & CEO for DNV GL. “SEMS requirements are rigorous and exhaustive. These requirements cannot be met without total organisational commitment and transparency.”

In assessing Noble Energy’s Tamar operations, DNV GL - Business Assurance USA, Inc. used SEMS audit protocols developed by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) for the Gulf of Mexico. BSEE requires SEMS auditors to be certified by the Center for Offshore Safety (COS), which promotes safety for offshore operations through effective leadership, communication, teamwork, utilisation of disciplined management systems and independent third-party auditing and certification. DNV GL Business Assurance USA, Inc. is a COS-accredited audit service-provider.

“We are committed to operate to the highest standards across our global operational areas,” says Scott Childres, Vice President of Operations for Eastern Mediterranean at Noble Energy. “We have been working with the Israel Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources to develop a world-class industry in Israel since we made the first offshore discovery in 1999. Natural gas from the Tamar Field currently fuels more than half of Israel’s electricity generation needs and nearly all of the country’s industrial fuel requirements. Receiving this certificate of compliance from a distinguished organisation like DNV GL is a testament to our unrelenting commitment to safe and responsible operations that provide reliable energy resources to the people of Israel.”

“Our work with Noble Energy’s Israeli operations is our first SEMS audit outside of North America, and could set the standard for other areas of the world,” adds Eriksen.

Tags: DNV GL, Noble Energy