BP said production has restarted on its Valhall platform after it was evacuated due to a collision threat from a drifting barge.
An unmanned barge drifting out of control sparked a major scare on Hogmanay, eventually missing the platfrom by less that 2km.
BP and ConocoPhillips were forced to evacuate platforms and shut down production early on Hogmanay amid concerns they could be hit by the barge that had broken its anchor. The barge was eventually secured and brought under control by owners Eide Marine.
A BP Norway spokesman said today: “All personnel returned to Valhall during New Year’s Day and production was resumed during the night to second of January. We now have full production.
Winds gusting at 70 knots had ripped the barge from its moorings and sent it towards the Valhall platform in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, close to the meridian line with UK sector.
ConocoPhillips has not yet confirmed whether production has restarted on its Eldfisk and Embla installations that were also evacuated.