Woodside implements safety system to protect offshore drilling crews

HaloGuard™ is an innovative safety system technology to help protect offshore drilling crews from moving equipment. The system was installed in 2024 on a drilling rig contracted to Woodside.

The HaloGuard system combines a wearable alarm, a real-time location transmitter and a machine vision system. It is designed to track the position of personnel and equipment on the drill floor. If a person with a wearable device comes within a certain proximity of moving equipment, they are notified by an alarm through the wearable device. In the event the person remains in close proximity of the moving equipment, the system will stop the equipment until they return to a safer, more distant position.

In October 2024, the new safety system was commissioned on the Transocean Endurance, which has since conducted decommissioning and development well drilling campaigns off the Pilbara coast. By enabling machines with the technology to track, sense and, if needed, stop operations, HaloGuard provides an advanced layer of individual protection on the drill floor.