Offshore staff

PERTH, Australia -- Australia's National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) issued a Prohibition Notice preventing petroleum operator Australian FPSO Management Pty Ltd. (AFM) from using the process plant on its offshore facility at Woollybutt field, about 42 km (26 mi) west of Barrow Island, Western Australia, until safety issues are resolved.

The issuing of the Prohibition Notice follows a recent inspection by NOPSA Occupational Health and Safety Inspectors of AFM's FPSO, Four Vanguard.

NOPSA is concerned that a number of critical safety systems related to shut down and emergency depressurization within the process plant currently are not able to meet the necessary standards.

NOPSA is a Commonwealth statutory agency that regulates the health and safety of the Australian national offshore petroleum industry through the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967.

05/13/2008