Centrica has started drilling of the block 6506/9-2 S Fogelberg well in the Norwegian sector using the rig, West Alpha.
However, the company only achieved consent to drill from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) after carrying out a number of changes to its management and safety procedures.
An audit by the PSA found the UK group lacking in a number of aspects to do with this planned exploration well. Audits were conducted in January, plus the authority observed an exercise for second-line emergency preparedness. It is these that sounded warning bells at the PSA, which said in a statement: “Based on our findings from this audit, we cannot see that Centrica is capable of prudently managing the exploration drilling activity that they have applied for, at the present time.
“Centrica’s management of the preparations for carrying out the drilling operations with West Alpha is inadequate. This applies both to how Centrica safeguards its supervisory duty vis-a-vis other players, as well as how Centrica quality-assures its own activities.”
The PSA said of its safety concerns: “We identified nonconformities in connection with Centrica’s management and handling of emergency-preparedness aspects in view of the upcoming drilling operation.”
It warned that Centrica “should consider the composition of its own organisation in terms of necessary resources and competence”.
However, Centrica has since addressed the issues, with the result that the PSA gave clearance and the rig is now well into its anticipated 78 days programme.
Fogelberg, on the PL433 licence, is viewed as being a substantial oil prospect; moreover, it is located only 10km to the north of the Asgard oilfield operated by Statoil. It is regarded as a high-impact probe. Interest holders are Centrica with 28%; Faroe Petroleum, 15%; Petro-Canada, 30%; E.ON Ruhrgas Norge, 15%, and North Energy, 12%.
West Alpha is an Ultra Yatzy drilling facility built in 1986. The facility has undergone several modifications and is registered in Panama with Det Norske Veritas as classification society.
West Alpha is operated by Seadrill with an operations office in Stavanger. The facility received an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) in December 2001.