INTERNATIONAL REGULATORS FORUM
GLOBAL OFFSHORE SAFETY
2007 conference Programme Committee
Taf Powell, United Kingdom
Program Committee Chairman
Investigation Manager, Buncefield Board
Taf Powell is head of Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Offshore Division. He graduated in Geology and Chemistry from Nottingham University. His oil field career has been split between working in the UK and abroad in offshore exploration and development and regulation of the sector in licensing, well operations, policy and safety regulation.
In 1991, he joined the HSE’s Offshore Division from BP and started work to develop the new offshore regulatory framework, one of Lord Cullen’s recommendations following his inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster.
As HSE’s Operations Manager, based in Aberdeen, he led inspection teams and well engineer specialists responsible for enforcing the new regulations until 2000 when he took up the role as Director and Chief Inspector of the Offshore Division of the HSE’s Hazardous Industries Directorate.
Taf has been working with the International Regulators Forum promoting the economic sustainability agenda worldwide–and gaining additional leverage with the worldwide drilling and production industry since its creation in 1994.
In December 2005, Taf was appointed to lead the Government’s investigation into the Buncefield Major Incident of December 11, 2005. The investigation reports to an independent Board, of which Taf is a member.
Taf is married to Judy, with a son and daughter. They live in Aberdeen, Scotland. When spared from work and household maintenance, his interests include outdoor activities, particularly hill walking.
John Clegg, Australia
CEO, Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority
John Clegg spent 29 years in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK regulating mainly onshore and offshore major hazard industries. Following the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea, John, an Operations Manager, helped set up the Offshore Division and contributed to the regime change from prescription to goal setting.
John took up post as the inaugural CEO of the Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) on July 1, 2004.
Ahmed Mubarak, Qatar
Manager, HSE Monitoring and Performance Department, Qatar Petroleum
Ahmed Mubarak received his PhD in Chemical Technology in 1976. He has authored and co-authored over 50 books and technical articles which have been published in various engineering/technology and science journals. He served as Principal Auditor [IRCA registered] for Quality [ISO 9001], Environment [ISO 14001], and Occupational Health and Safety [OHSAS 18001].
Mr. Mubarak has 25 years experience in the chemical and oil and gas industry and is currently Manager of HSE Monitoring & Performance Dept, Qatar Petroleum.
J. B. Verma, India
Executive Director, Oil Industry Safety Directorate
J. B. Verma is a Chemical Engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 32 years experience in Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a Fortune 500 company in the petroleum refining, manufacturing and marketing sector of the oil industry.
Mr. Verma has rich experience in diversified fields of Technical Services, Operations and Commissioning of Hydrogen, Hydro-desulphurization, and Hydrocracker Plants of IOCL Mathura Refinery. He has worked in the Gujarat, Guwahati, Haldia and Mathura Refineries of IOCL in various departments.
Presently, he is the Executive Director, heading Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), a technical directorate under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOP&NG), Government of India, that formulates and coordinates the implementation of a series of self-regulatory standards in the areas of design, operation and maintenance, aimed at enhancing the safety in the Oil & Gas Industry in India. He is steering and guiding the safety aspects in the Oil & Gas (Upstream & Downstream) sector of India. Periodic safety audits of industry, regular reviews for improvement, knowledge and experience sharing are done to achieve highest safety standards in a cost effective manner. The offshore safety regulations are being framed presently by OISD for fast expanding offshore exploration and development activities in India with knowledge and assistance from International Regulatory bodies.
Elmer P. Danenberger, III, USA
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs, Minerals Management Service
Mr. Danenberger earned a B.S. degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and a Masters degree in Environmental Pollution Control, both from Pennsylvania State University. He has been employed as an engineer in the Department of the Interior’s offshore oil and gas program since 1971. He served as a staff engineer in the Gulf of Mexico regional office; Chief of the Technical Advisory Section at the headquarters office of the U.S. Geological Survey; District Supervisor for MMS field offices in Santa Maria, California, and Hyannis, Massachusetts; and as Chief of the Engineering and Operations Division at MMS headquarters.
He is currently Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs, with responsibilities for safety and pollution-prevention research, engineering support, operating regulations, and inspection and enforcement programs.
Djibril Amadou Kanoute, Senegal
Operations Manager, PETROSEN, Senegal National Oil Company
Mr. Djibril Kanoute is from Senegal. Senegal is located in West Africa and is not yet an oil producing country.
He graduated as a Mining Engineer from the Mining School of Rabat in Morocco. He started his career in the early 80’s at the Direction of Mines and Geology of the Ministry of Industrial Development of his country.
He joined Tullow Oil in 1986. Tullow Oil is an Irish company that first started its activities in Senegal. He worked as a Field Engineer, and specialised in Drilling and Production operations. In 1990, he left Tullow Oil for PETROSEN where he was appointed in 1992 as Manager of the Production Department and later as Operation Manager when the company acquired a land drilling rig in 1996.
Between 1986 and 1996 he took many short courses in Drilling and Production Operations in Canada within the OGCI (Oil & Gas Consultants International Inc), PITS (Petroleum Industry Training Service) and in France at the IFP (Institut Français du Petrole). He also attended many seminars in Loss Control Management and Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management.
From year 2000 until today, he moved to the management of the company as an Operation Advisor to the General Manager. He initiated the redaction of the terms of reference for the regulation of exploration and production operations in order to complete petroleum legislation of his country.
Ian Ramdahin, Trinidad and Tobago
Chief Mechanical Engineer, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries
Mr Ian Ramdahin is currently the head of the HSE/Measurement Division, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a board member of the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Health and Safety Authority which was recently instituted in October 2006. He is an Engineering graduate from the University of the West Indies who has over ten years of regulatory experience in the HSE field. A major achievement in his career so far has been his role in the development of the Trinidad and Tobago Verification Scheme Regime as a HSE tool for establishing technical assurance.
Taf Powell is head of Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Offshore Division. He graduated in Geology and Chemistry from Nottingham University. His oil field career has been split between working in the UK and abroad in offshore exploration and development and regulation of the sector in licensing, well operations, policy and safety regulation. 
John Clegg spent 29 years in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK regulating mainly onshore and offshore major hazard industries. Following the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea, John, an Operations Manager, helped set up the Offshore Division and contributed to the regime change from prescription to goal setting.
Ahmed Mubarak received his PhD in Chemical Technology in 1976. He has authored and co-authored over 50 books and technical articles which have been published in various engineering/technology and science journals. He served as Principal Auditor [IRCA registered] for Quality [ISO 9001], Environment [ISO 14001], and Occupational Health and Safety [OHSAS 18001].
J. B. Verma is a Chemical Engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 32 years experience in Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a Fortune 500 company in the petroleum refining, manufacturing and marketing sector of the oil industry. 
Mr. Danenberger earned a B.S. degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and a Masters degree in Environmental Pollution Control, both from Pennsylvania State University. He has been employed as an engineer in the Department of the Interior’s offshore oil and gas program since 1971. He served as a staff engineer in the Gulf of Mexico regional office; Chief of the Technical Advisory Section at the headquarters office of the U.S. Geological Survey; District Supervisor for MMS field offices in Santa Maria, California, and Hyannis, Massachusetts; and as Chief of the Engineering and Operations Division at MMS headquarters.
Mr. Djibril Kanoute is from Senegal. Senegal is located in West Africa and is not yet an oil producing country. 
Mr Ian Ramdahin is currently the head of the HSE/Measurement Division, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a board member of the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Health and Safety Authority which was recently instituted in October 2006. He is an Engineering graduate from the University of the West Indies who has over ten years of regulatory experience in the HSE field. A major achievement in his career so far has been his role in the development of the Trinidad and Tobago Verification Scheme Regime as a HSE tool for establishing technical assurance.