As we try to extract and remedy all of the problems in the oil and gas industry from compliance to safety to fines to reprimanding non-compliance, I have to ask the question:

“Are the governing bodies doing this whole parenting thing right?”

Typically, it seems that the attention is focused on the big boys and the detrimental mistakes. This is obvious as they produce the most revenue, have the most effect nationally, and have the most media attention. When a well-known company has an oil spill or a significant instance of non-compliance, its reputation is ruefully slaughtered.

I bet that a lot of people in our country think that those huge, heavily scrutinized spills are the only ones that ever occur. The little guys make mistakes too, but they are seldom hit as hard. I understand the philosophy is to make an example out of the majors, and maybe that is the right way to do it, but what if it isn’t?

The little mistakes that are made sometimes go unpunished and are easily overlooked with zero punishment, but it is a distinct possibility that those little mistakes could lead to one of the huge oil spills eventually. As a parent, shouldn’t you hold all of your children to some level of consequences for big and little mistakes? Do the problems the oil and gas industry face revolve around the way we try to fix them or prevent them?

Is there a better way of enforcement? I’m sure there must be. But, there is definitely a better way for compliance related issues. Its called “automation”. Big data concept has enabled many companies to optimize their compliance related issues by introducing regulatory compliance software that could automate these processes.

 

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