The Petroleum Safety Authority in Norway has started an investigation into a fire which broke out on the Petrojarl Knarr FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) vessel. The incident halted production temporarily and happened only one week after it had begun.
An oil worker has passed away after becoming unwell at the Shetland Gas Plant (SGP). An oil worker has passed away after becoming unwell at the Shetland Gas Plant (SGP). The 61-year-old, who worked for services company Petrofac, said the man had become unwell on site and was taken to Bain Hospital in Lerwick before being transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A Petrofac spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that a Shetland Gas Plant worker sadly passed away today (Thursday 26 March 2015).
An investigation has been launched by the Petroleum Safety Authority in Norway over an incident involving a dropped object on the West Venture drilling facility. The incident happened earlier this week in the Norwegian North Sea.
There is an urgent need to cut the accident rate among helicopters working in the global oil and gas industry to at least the level of mainstream commercial airlines, an aviation “summit” in Canada has heard. This was the core message of Mark Stevens, chairman of the aviation sub-committee at the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), on day two of the 2015 CHC Safety & Quality Summit in Vancouver. Mr Stevens said there were 406 helicopter and 71 fixed wing accidents over the period 1998-2014, killing 502 and 171 people respectively.
Production had to be halted temporarily from the Knarr oil field in the Norwegian North Sea after a small fire broke out. The incident on the floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) happened just over a week after production began.
Oil workers have been evacuated from a North Sea platform after a supply vessel crashed into it. Production on the Apache-operated Forties Echo was also shut down following the incident at around 8.40am yesterday. An Apache spokesman said 15 personnel were flown by helicopter to the nearby Forties Bravo as a precaution. A further 15 workers remain on board the stricken platform. There were no injuries as a result of the collision and no hydrocarbons leaked into the sea.
Offshore workers have undergone a sizeable change in body shape and build over the past 30 years –partly due to “comfort eating”. Research by Robert Gordon University has concluded that offshore workers are an average 19% heavier than they were in 1985 – with significant growth in neck, chest, hip, waist and wrist sizes.
The bodies of nearly 600 offshore workers were scanned using a handheld 3D device for the research. The employees were measured while waiting to be transported to the North Sea, with researchers also travelling to platforms for the work.
An Aberdeen safety culture training firm has launched a workshop course aimed at drill rig crews at a conference in Kuala Lumpur. Optimus Seventh Generation has developed the ‘Operationalising the Safety Case’ workshop to raise awareness of major hazardous accidents and safety barriers designed to protect the rig.
E-learning firm Atlas Knowledge has extended its contract to deliver a newly revised offshore safety programme for a further seven years. The Aberdeen firm will continue to deliver the Minimum Industry Safety Training (Mist) online programme, retaining its position as the only provider of Mist refresher training.
Maersk have launched a new training facility in Kingswells, providing additional training opportunities to oil and gas workers in Aberdeen. Launched this week, the centre aims to complement the training facilities that already exist in the north-east, including the survival centre in Portlethen and the boat training facility in Stonehaven.
BW Offshore said three remaining crew missing after an explosion had been recovered. The announcement means the total number of fatalities following the incident stands at nine workers. Last month an explosion occurred on Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit Cidade de Sao Mateus.
A map of the world has been created to help keep oil and gas companies updated on regions that pose the most risks to their staff. International SOS has released its Health Risk Map 2015, which helps oil companies, non governmental organisations, educational institutions and governments understand health threats around the world. For Aberdeen-based oil companies in particular, it helps employers ensure that their staff are safe ahead of overseas assignments.
A verdict will be recorded later in the inquest of British victims of a bloody terrorist siege at an Algerian gas plant. Six Britons and a UK-based Colombian were among 40 hostages who were killed by al Qaida-linked Islamists during a four-day stand-off in January 2013 at the In Amenas complex. Assistant Coroner for West Sussex Nicholas Hilliard QC will hand down a verdict and narrative conclusions at the Old Bailey this afternoon. At the start of the inquest last year, the Recorder of London had said: “Each was wholly innocent of events which unfolded when a group of heavily armed went into the In Amenas gas facility. “Forty innocent people lost their lives, such was the scale of events. Each and every death is a wholly separate tragedy and leaves family and friends devastated and bereft.”
An investigation is underway by Talisman Sinopec over an alleged dropped object on the Claymore platform in the North Sea. It is understood a cable snapped as a 22-tonne blowout preventer was being lifted late last week in what has been described as a "near-miss". Production was temporarily shut down as a temporary measure on the Claymore platform, which is 100 miles north east of Aberdeen, following the incident.
Safety remains an "absolute priority" one year on from the publication of a report addressing issues on offshore helicopter flights. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)'s CAT-1145 report was released on February 20, 2014 and listed 61 actions and recommendations aimed at addressing accident prevention for workers travelling offshore by helicopter. It comes one month after the CAA said there is still work to be done to improve flight safety.
Staff have been taken off the Ninian Central platform following a suspected drinking water contamination. The platform, which is operated by CNR International, is 249miles from Aberdeen. There are 192 personnel onboard the Ninian platform.
Production at Statoil’s Gudrun oil and gas field has been halted following a suspected gas leak. The company said it was unsure when the platform, in the Norwegian North Sea, would resume output.
BW Offshore said six people are now confirmed to have died following an explosion onboard an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading ) unit in Brazil. Three crew members are still missing following the incident one week ago with search and rescue operations continuing. Another five personnel are continuing to receive medical attention in hospital, the company said.
An investigation has been launched after a North Sea worker was exposed to radiation. The incident happened 145 miles east of Aberdeen on the Lomond Installation. The worker, who is employed by offshore firm Sparrows, has undergone medical evaluations both offshore and onshore and has been confirmed as safe from any potential harm.
An offshore was seriously injured after a gas cylinder shot through the air and hit him on the leg last November.
Emergency services have been called to Aberdeen International Airport due to fears for an incoming helicopter. The Bristow EC225 Super Puma aircraft was due in at around 10.05am and has triggered a response from police, fire and rescue and ambulance teams. There were 19 passengers on-board the aircraft along with two crew members.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said improvements have been made to offshore helicopter flights, but there is still more to be done. The body said many of the safety objectives it had set last year had already been met such as emergency breathing systems and cancelling flights in the most extreme sea conditions. It said the safety of those who travel in offshore helicopter flight is “paramount”.
A Super Puma has made an emergency landing at Aberdeen International Airport. The CHC Super Puma L2 helicopter had two crew on board and no passengers when the incident happened. The flight had been coming into Aberdeen when it made a request for priority landing.
Total has signed its first global agreement with IndustriALL Global Union as it aims to strengthen its commitment as a responsible employer. The agreement includes gender equality, health and safety and insurance coverage.