Equinor's Valemon and Martin Linge offshore assets audited by Havtil
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has identified multiple safety and systems deficiencies in Equinor’s operations tied to the Valemon Field, while a separate audit of the Martin Linge B floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit found no regulatory breaches but highlighted areas for improvement in emergency preparedness.
The findings are part of two audits published in late May, covering different aspects of Equinor-operated offshore assets in the Norwegian North Sea.
Five non‑conformities at Valemon
Havtil’s audit of Equinor’s onshore control room supporting the Valemon Field, which was conducted March 24-26, focused on technical safety, process safety and automation systems.
The regulator identified five non‑conformities, raising concerns about the reliability of monitoring and safety-critical systems:
- Inadequate monitoring of alarm systems in the central control room;
- Failure to update the human-machine interface (HMI) system;
- Deficiencies in monitoring process safety functions;
- Insufficient updating of technical documentation; and
- Suboptimal response time of the firewater system.
Havtil said the audit aimed to verify whether Equinor’s management and follow‑up of operations meet regulatory and internal requirements to reduce the likelihood of failures.
In addition to the non‑conformities, the authority flagged two improvement points tied to risk management, noting that the field’s total risk analysis does not provide a sufficiently comprehensive picture and that criteria for updating such analyses were not adequately met.
The audit also included oversight of the onshore control room’s coordination with offshore wind systems supplying the Snorre and Gullfaks fields, reflecting the growing integration of electrification and hybrid energy systems in Equinor’s portfolio.
Equinor has been asked to outline how it will address the findings by June 19.
No breaches at Martin Linge B, but improvement areas identified
In contrast, Havtil’s audit of emergency preparedness on the Martin Linge B FSO, which was carried out Feb. 9-13, found no non‑conformities.
The vessel, converted from the tanker MT Hanne Knutsen and now permanently stationed on the Martin Linge Field, operates under a maritime regulatory framework, with Equinor as field operator and Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers responsible for the vessel’s operation.
While compliance was confirmed, Havtil highlighted two improvement points related to emergency preparedness:
- Work arrangements onboard; and
- More systematic training of deputies assigned to emergency response roles.
The regulator said the audit focused on verifying processes and systems supporting comprehensive emergency preparedness management on the FSO.
Knutsen was asked to assess the improvement points by May 29.
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