How long does it actually take to perform a critical task on a drillship, under real conditions, with the crew that is actually on board?

The answer has direct implications for crew safety, operational reliability, and increasingly, regulatory compliance.

In late 2023, Brazil’s oil and gas regulator ANP issued a technical note on Human Factors Engineering, placing Safety Critical Task Analysis and Human Reliability Assessment at the center of compliance requirements for offshore drilling operations.

The central question it raises for operators is practical and difficult:

What is the minimum number of personnel required to perform critical tasks safely and reliably and how do you prove it ?

Dolfines Latam developed a methodology to answer exactly that.

The approach is built on direct observation in live operational conditions, not simulations, not estimates. Our teams embed on board, observe critical operations as they are actually executed, and time each task with the crew present.

The findings feed into a report providing concrete recommendations that allow operators to meet regulatory requirements and optimise the safety and efficiency of their drilling operations.

We have deployed this methodology across six drillships operating in Brazil, including most recently the West Carina.

For operators outside Brazil: the methodology is not ANP-specific.

Any regulator or client requiring evidence-based manning justification and human factors analysis can be served by the same approach.