merger
CASE STUDY N°2: Harmonization of two Safety Cultures after an international merger
Project objective
To advise and support an Oil and Gas major in deploying a combined set of Health-Safety-Environment policies, after multiple acquisition of international companies.
The company
An international company performing geophysics operations (geological studies and seismic surveys), drilling, and operating oil and gas platforms.
The background of the project
Consecutive mergers of three major players of the Oil and Gas sector highlighted major differences in the respective Health-Safety-Environment policies of the three companies. DP2i was requested to advise and co-build an improvement program with the existing corporate teams, reconciling the existing policies of the three companies into a single group set of policies.
Summary of DP2i main deliverables
- Benchmark of the three companies’ set of policies (2 out of 3 already known to DP2i).
- Development of a self-assessment tool that simultaneously set the new Health & Safety framework of the newly formed company
- Development of training programs for the management teams of operational entities.
- Construction of an audit protocol for corporate safety and referencing ISO standards and Oil & Gas Producers’ standards.
- Training of all entities operating over 15 countries: France, Scotland, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Gabon, Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Yemen, Myanmar, Indonesia, Argentina, Canada, and USA.
Specificity of the project and DP2i Lessons learned
The development of a common reference system by internal strong leaders who became the custodians of the new policies, emphasizing the value of existing achievements (despite major differences between entities) and converging toward a common destination with a successfully harmonized set of individual convictions and working practices after a 5-year period.