“My approach is to always understand first the larger context of the assignment (e.g., legal, operational, socio-economic), the requirements and objectives it needs to satisfy and in resolving and completing the task, I always go back to those objectives to check if they have been met. Therefore, I like to provide my clients and business partners with a comprehensive and complete quality product they can use repeatedly in their everyday work and interactions. This is what I consider a success and what makes me happy.”

Daniela Ratcheva, a biochemical engineer by training, has worked in senior and lead environmental engineering and HES risk practitioner positions for major oil and gas operators and international design companies in the span of a 30-year career.  

Daniela holds two MSc Degrees, i.e., one in Biotechnology (Bioprocess systems) from the Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridky” and MSc in “Environmental Monitoring, Control and Health”, University of Chemical Technologies “Prof. A Zlatarov”, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Daniela’s career highlights include her role as the Chevron Australia Risk Management Process Advisor and Technical Authority Risk at the time when the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG Projects were being commissioned and transitioning in early operations. As part of this role, Daniela provided field support to LNG Plant start-up and early operations teams with risk engineering studies and worked fly-in/ fly-out (FIFO) at the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG plants from the mid 2016 to the late 2018 period. Daniela was also the Gorgon Project Lead Environmental Engineer for Chevron, covering areas from approval conditions liaison with the regulator, translating regulatory requirements and company commitments in environmental specifications for design and governance of the implementation of the environmental basis of design and demonstration of ALARP. 

Other professionally rewarding roles include provision of environmental support to Operations for ConocoPhillips Australia, where Daniela developed a comprehensive Environmental Hazards and Risks Register for the Bayu-Undan facilities, operating procedures, and Environment Plans, as well as a project environmental engineer role for Woodside to develop the specification for GHG emissions allocations within the North West Shelf (NWS) production allocation system whilst meeting GHG and energy reporting obligations.

A short employment history with positions held is provided below:

Senior HES Risk Engineer (October 2019 -January 2020; June 1995 – July 2001)

Safety Case studies for offshore facilities including HAZIDs, gas dispersion and fire modelling studies, Fire and Explosion Risk Assessments, Essential Systems Survivability Assessments, QRA revisions. Development of a Construction Safety Case for Santos.

 Senior Environmental Engineer (Jan 2020 – April 2022)

Notable project work includes:

• Environmental engineering support for the Julimar Development Phase 2 Project. ENVID and MOC RA facilitator and author, Operations EP revisions, GHG emissions inventory for CSU, assessment of Hg impacts and risks from unplanned subsea releases.

• Technical lead for the NWS GHG Reporting and Allocation system (integrated with the NWS Production Allocation System). Development of the technical specification for the system and recording of the business process and roles.

Lead Environmental Engineer/ Risk Management Process Advisor and Technical Authority – Risk (April 2006 – October 2018)

Notable work includes:

Author of the Gorgon Project governing environment-in-design documents i.e., the Environmental Basis of Design and Environmental Risk Management Implementation Plan, including the Gorgon Environmental Risk Matrix and Consequence Assessment Table.

 Author of the following Gorgon ministerial approval management plans:

• Air Quality Management Plan

• Best Practice Pollution Control Report

• GHG Abatement Program

Author of the environmental engineering sections of the following Gorgon ministerial approval management plans:

• Long Term Marine Turtle Management Plan

• Terrestrial and Subterranean Environment Protection Plan

 Author of the Chevron Chemical Assessment and Approval Procedure

Risk engineering support provided to CSU and Early Operations teams on site at the Gorgon Gas Plant, Barrow Island and the Wheatstone LNG Plant, Onslow with studies including e.g. risk assessments for management of change (MOC) and deviation management; construction, commissioning and start-up risk assessments; consequence and risk assessment studies (occupied premises risk assessment, flare projectiles risk assessment), etc.

Bayu-Undan Operations Environmental Advisor (2003 – April 2006)

Notable work includes:

• Bayu-Undan Operations Environmental Hazards and Risks Register (Production and Accommodation Complex and FPSO)

• Bayu-Undan Environmental Reporting System development / environmental reporting procedure.

• Monthly, quarterly and annual environmental reporting (internal and external)

• Barossa Exploratory Well Drilling Environment Plan

• Audit team member for the Bechtel Darwin LNG Construction Environment Plan

• Prepared the first draft of the Darwin LNG Plant Environmental Licence – Operations

Senior HES Risk Engineer (2001 – 2003

Notable work includes:

• Lead loss prevention on the Rang Dong development offshore Vietnam.

• Environmental engineer on the Bayu Undan project (late construction/ commissioning)

Daniela Ratcheva,
Principal Consultant