(WO) — Oxy and Valaris have received the Center for Offshore Safety’s (COS) 2026 Safety Leadership Awards for digital technologies designed to identify operational risks and improve safety across offshore operations.
The awards were presented during the 14th Annual COS Forum in Houston and recognize companies developing safety management and performance practices for the offshore industry.
Oxy received the award in the operator category for two AI-enabled initiatives supporting its Gulf of America operations. The company’s COACH AI Observation Tool uses a conversational workflow to improve the accuracy and completeness of safety observations, while a separate AI trending initiative analyzes submitted observations for standardized weekly reporting.
According to COS, the tools allow Oxy to identify hazards and recurring areas of exposure while improving intervention accountability and shifting its observation program toward more proactive risk management.
Valaris received the contractor award for BarrierPulse, a real-time system developed to monitor the integrity of critical offshore safety barriers. The platform consolidates more than 1 million operational assurance data points covering maintenance, workforce competency, drills, management of change and operational risk assessments.
Rather than classifying safety barriers simply as available or failed, BarrierPulse tracks incremental and cumulative degradation to identify potential warning signs before they reach escalation thresholds. Valaris has used the system to improve visibility into barrier degradation and prioritize mitigation measures associated with major accident risks.
“This year’s winners effectively leveraged emerging technologies and industry experience, developing tools and processes that reduce risks and increase safety in offshore operations,” said Colin Frazier, API Senior Director of the Center for Offshore Safety & Safety Programs.
COS selects finalists in operator and contractor categories each year, with attendees at the annual forum voting to determine the award recipients.
About The Author
