diff --git a/TBF/BenchControl/Output/DB/SensusOracle/Database.cs b/TBF/BenchControl/Output/DB/SensusOracle/Database.cs
index 96808d398..76f16f474 100644
--- a/TBF/BenchControl/Output/DB/SensusOracle/Database.cs
+++ b/TBF/BenchControl/Output/DB/SensusOracle/Database.cs
@@ -626,14 +626,23 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.DB.SensusOracle
 
         public Retv WriteResultsToDB(OracleConnection conn, Results.Entities.Batch batch, bool safeMode)
 		{
-            OracleTransaction transaction = null;
+            OracleTransaction transaction;
 
             try
             {
                 conn.Open();	/// Open the Oracle database
-
                 transaction = conn.BeginTransaction();
+            }
+            catch (Exception exc)
+            {
+                log.ErrorFormat("Results of batch {0} not written to ORACLE DB (phase 1): {1}",
+                                batch.BatchNr, exc.Message);
+                conn.Close();
+                return Retv.Error;
+            }
 
+            try
+            {
                 SaveBatchData(conn, batch);
                 foreach (var wMtr in batch.WaterMeters)
                 {
@@ -641,20 +650,17 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.DB.SensusOracle
                 }
 
 				transaction.Commit();
+                conn.Close();
+                log.ErrorFormat("Results of batch {0} correctly written to ORACLE DB", batch.BatchNr);
+                return Retv.OK;
 			}
 			catch (Exception exc)
 			{
-				if (transaction != null) transaction.Rollback();
-
-				log.ErrorFormat("Results of batch {0} not written to ORACLE database: {1}",
-								batch.BatchNr, exc.Message);
-
+				transaction.Rollback();
 				conn.Close();
+                log.ErrorFormat("Results of batch {0} not written to ORACLE DB: {1}", batch.BatchNr, exc.Message);
 				return Retv.Error;
 			}
-
-			conn.Close();
-			return Retv.OK;
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>