Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway – Another leak has occurred from a Statoil-operated platform in the Norwegian North Sea.
A gas detection alarm onStatfjord C was triggered Sunday by an oil leak. Statoil says the location has been identified. A small amount of oil flowed into the sea, but the leak has since been stopped.
The platform’s 270-strong crew mustered at the lifeboats but were allowed to return to their living quarters soon afterward.
Statoil says it is currently mapping the extent of the leak. The platform has been shut down. Weather conditions in the area are currently severe, with high waves.
There are emergency response services in the area providing observation, and Statoil is considering inspection from the air.
Last week, a drill fluid leak caused staff to be evacuated from the company’sSnorre A platform.
To add to the company’s problems, Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has issued an order to Statoil following an investigation of an earlier hydrocarbon leak at theOseberg A platform.
The investigation identified serious breaches of the regulations, including “deficient” key work processes for operation of theOseberg field center.
PSA found that many activities had taken place during normal operations for years without the work processes being risk-assessed, updated, or prepared.
Accordingly, Statoil has been told to review risk-assess and update work processes for operation of the wells and process facilities at Oseberg by March 31, 2014.
01/27/2014
