Energy giant Total said yesterday that an operation to seal a gas leak from its Elgin platform in the North Sea could be completed within weeks.
The company said a “top kill” solution – which would involve plugging the leaking G4 wellhead with mud to bring the flow under control – would continue as planned.
The announcement followed an inspection by a specialist team of eight workers who flew out to the installation 150 miles east of Aberdeen on Thursday.
The group – three Total employees and five from specialist Wild Well Control – confirmed the leak was coming from the production platform.
It was the first flight to land on the offshore structure since all 238 workers were evacuated 12 days ago.
Speaking shortly after returning to Aberdeen, a spokesman for Wild Well Control said: “We achieved our goals. Everything went as we would have hoped and the planned well intervention is achievable.”
A spokesman for Total added that the “top kill” operation was the quicker of two methods that would be undertaken simultaneously.
He said: “We would hope that will be successful within weeks.”
Plans are still in place to drill a relief well and a back-up well, which would take up to six months to bring the leak under control.
The spokesman said the team also conducted a remote operated vehicle (ROV) survey, which found no evidence of an underwater leak.
At Total’s Aberdeen headquarters at Altens yesterday, managing director, Phillipe Guys met Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Lochhead said the impact on the marine environment and fish stocks so far appeared to have been “minimal”.
He said: “I am satisfied the company is taking all steps they can do at this point. It is important, however, that we continue to monitor the situation.”
Mr Lochhead said stopping the leak remained the “number one priority”.
He added: “Total informed me that in the coming days efforts will begin to try and stop the flow of gas above the surface, by putting heavy mud into the well.
“Simultaneously, Total will also commence work on the second option, involving drilling two relief wells to stop the flow of gas before it reaches the surface.
“Putting in place relief wells is a much longer option, and will take a matter of months before they are in place.
“With the surface solution, to put mud into relieve the well, that could just be a matter of two to three weeks, so that’s clearly the quicker option.”
Mr Lochhead emerged from his meeting shortly after a team of experts aboard a Scottish Government marine research vessel set sail from Fraserburgh.