ExxonMobil has been fined $2.63million for spilling crude oil in an Arkansas residential area two years ago. The company was hit with the cash penalty by the US pipeline safety office, the regulator said yesterday.
Safety and survival specialist Survitec has acquired Aberdeen-based lifeboat builder Survival Craft Inspectorate (SCI) for an undisclosed amount.
Extra safety checks are being carried out on North Sea helicopters after a potential problem with their life rafts was detected. Manufacturer Airbus Helicopters said yesterday about 25 of the Super Puma EC225LP aircraft were affected globally, including about six in UK offshore oil and gas operations. A spokesman for the firm said a routine inspection of an EC225LP had revealed an issue with its life raft mechanism, leading to a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) emergency air worthiness directive.
Safety training provider Falck proved it practices what it preaches by winning an occupational health and safety award.
Industry body Step Change in Safety has been recognised for its contribution to the energy sector at the 2015 Northern Star Business Awards, held in Aberdeen.
The Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) will investigate an accident involving a dropped object on the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea. The incident occurred earlier this week during a lifting operation on the production facility’s drill floor. The PSA said part of a grating came loose and dropped and hit a person working in the area below.
A new documentary that recounts the rescue of a stranded diver will offer valuable insight that will help the industry deal with similar events in the future.
Fire protection multinational Tyco has agreed a global rights deal with Aberdeen-based RigDeluge to produce and market its oil and gas safety systems.
Aberdeen-based ESS Offshore Support Services has won a gold award for its approach to occupational health and safety.
Statoil has been criticised by the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) over a number of maintenance failings at a North Sea field. The body said a number of non-conformities were found in connection with maintenance of offshore cranes, wire ropes and training of emergency preparedness personnel.
Statoil has successfully completed a detailed risk analysis at its Norwegian downstream oil refinery, said Lloyd's Register this week.
Stena Drilling has been fined $231,000 by an Australian court following the death of two workers on an offshore drilling unit. The company had previously pled guilty to breaching its duty to provide a safe workplace. It followed the deaths of floorman Peter Meddens and toolpusher Barry Denholm who had been working on the Stena Clyde mobile offshore drilling unit.
An oil company has pleaded guilty to breaching its duty to provide a safe workplace after the death of two workers on a rig. Stena Drilling Australia is expected to be sentenced next month after entering the plea at a Magistrates Court in Victoria. It followed the deaths of floorman Peter Meddens and toolpusher Barry Denholm who had been working on the Stena Clyde mobile offshore drilling unit.
The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has warned North Atlantic Drilling (NAD) that an incident on a drilling unit could have caused injury to staff. An investigation by the PSA was carried out after an incident on the West Venture in March this year when it was operating on the Troll field. It comes at the same time as Transocean were hit with a report outlining concerns over safety following an incident the same month.
The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has called for a number of improvements to be made after a roustabout was injured on the Transocean Barents drilling unit. The incident, which happened in March this year, left the worker with injuries to his head, neck and back. He had been carrying out an inspection of the derrick when the accident happened.
The operators of the Grangemouth oil refinery have been fined £24,000 for safety failings related to an incident in which a worker was injured at the plant. The decision came after a Petroineos employee was sprayed in the face by low pressure steam. The worker had been in regulation personal protective equipment including a hard hat and safety glasses at the time of the incident.
Maersk Oil has been issued with an improvement notice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after deadlines overran for work on the Gryphon Floating, Storage and Production Offloading vessel in the North Sea. A number of work orders were found to have been overdue on the vessel, which is 175 miles north east of Aberdeen. A spokesman for Maersk Oil said it was “committed” to improving its safety performance.
Statoil has been given a deadline by the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) in Norway over a number of non-conformities and improvement points on the Heidmal gas processing platform in the North Sea. The list also includes the risk of ignition from the platform. The company has until August 24th to report on improvements it has made since the routine audit took place in June.
A natural gas liquids pipeline has been shut after it went on fire in Colorado. Williams Companies said the incident occurred after the six-inch wide pipeline was struck by a third-party conduction excavation. No one was injured following the fire which was being monitored by the fire department.
More strides are being made to make North Sea commuting safer for passengers and pilots alike.
A senior official working for Iraq’s North Oil Company (NOC) has been shot dead – just a month after his predecessor at the state-run firm was killed. The chief engineer, Saad Ali Hussain, had been driving to his office in the city of Kirkuk when he was attacked.
Energy giant Total has been fined £1.4million after a worker was killed in an oil refinery explosion. Contractor Robert Greenacre, 24, was working under a distillation column containing hot crude oil, which was released and caught alight at the huge plant in North Killingholme, North Lincolnshire five years ago. A colleague was able to escape with minor burns but Mr Greenacre died at the scene.
Nominations are now open for the sixth annual Opito Safety and Competency Awards.
Italy’s Foreign Minister said “prudence and discretion” were essential as the country attempts to bring four kidnapped oil workers home from Libya. The families of four men have been in an anxious wait for news after they were taken near to an industrial complex owned by energy company Eni in the western city of Mellitah. Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said: "Prudence and discretion....are needed to bring home our four countrymen.
An offshore worker has been airlifted to hospital after injuring himself on a vessel near BP’s Schiehallion oil field, west of Shetland. The man was working on the North Sea Atlantic supply ship, run by Technip UK, when the incident took place at around 3.15pm.