Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway – Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has issued Statoil Petroleum a notification of order concerning the Statfjord C platform in the North Sea.
This follows investigation of an incident on Sept. 30 in which a 7-in. production pipe fell 14.3 m (47 ft) from a feed table connected to a pipe belt that forms part of the pipe handling system.
The 572 kg (1,261 lb) production pipe landed on an access stairway in an area underneath, coming to rest vertically through the stairway.
PSA’s investigation found that the direct cause of the incident was the use of a pipe-handling crane, with a spreader fitted, to lift an open basket. The crane’s overload alarm was triggered and the crane operator immediately lowered the basket, which in turn hit two 7-in. production pipes. One was lifted up, swung over the railing, and fell into the access stairway.
12/18/2013
