TotalEnergies (XPAR: TTE) failed to implement maintenance practices at its Culzean platform, creating a risk of fire and explosion, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The body served TotalEnergies with an improvement notice saying the oil major “failed to take appropriate measures with a view to preventing fire and explosion on the Culzean installation”.
The notice added that TotalEnergies had not implemented its system for planned preventative maintenance work on the valves that restrict potential reverse flows.
“The only maintenance record found was for critical check valve 0420-V0069, which was replaced in August 2022 because it had seized,” the notice said.
A TotalEnergies spokesperson said: “We are progressing the close out of the improvement notice served by the HSE in-line with the plan we presented to them. We will close the issue within the timeframe of the notice.
“We continue with our transparent and honest dialogue on safety. Safety is a core value of TotalEnergies where constant vigilance and discipline is applied by all.”
HSE has given TotalEnergies until the end of March to rectify the situation.
Based 142 miles (220km) east of Aberdeen, the Culzean platform suffered a power outage in 2023 during a planned platform shutdown, requiring 46 non-essential personnel to be removed from the asset.
TotalEnergies aims to electrify the Culzean platform through a floating wind pilot project, which forms part of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
This will see the company install a 3MW turbine 2km west of the Culzean platform, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, to supply around 20% of the asset’s power requirements.
TotalEnergies starting drilling work at the end of 2024 on a development infill well at the field, with estimates suggesting it could target around 67 million boe of resources.
The company started production from the asset in June 2019, which is responsible for around 5% of UK gas demand.
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