Nova Scotia board demands shut-in following discharge
Jan. 16, 2006
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) has required Exxon Mobil Canada to shut in the monoethylene glycol (MEG) injection system on the offshore Alma production platform following a discharge.
Offshore staff
(Nova Scotia)- The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) has required Exxon Mobil Canada to shut in the monoethylene glycol (MEG) injection system on the offshore Alma production platform following a discharge.
The platform, part of the Sable Offshore Energy Project, reported on January 12th a leak of MEG from the undersea pipeline that connects Alma with the Thebaud platform. MEG is injected into the 3-in. interfield flowline to prevent the formation of hydrates, which form as a block of ice within wet gas lines, posing significant safety hazards and potentially blocking production.
CNSOPB is requiring Exxon Mobil to complete the shut-in of the MEG injection system as quickly as is safely possible. Exxon Mobil estimates that it could take up to 24 hrs to safely shut in the system.
Alma produces approximately 100 MMcf/d of natural gas, or over a quarter of the total Sable project production. The platform is located approximately 60 km southwest of Sable Island, and the interfield flowline in question is approximately 50 km in length.
