The troubled Breagh North Sea gas field has been shut in once again after more problems at the processing plant due to handle its output.
The RWE Dea-operated field, in the Southern North Sea, finally started gas production in October – two months behind schedule – following a series of costly delays.
But less than a month after start-up, the field has been shut in following new mechanical problems at the Teesside Gas Processing Plant.
Investigations and repairs are expected to take at least two weeks after abnormal conditions in the pipeline were discovered during routine maintenance, which triggered an automatic shutdown.
“Clearly we are very disappointed with this turn of events at Breagh, as it further delays production from the field,” said John Rapach, chief operating officer of RWE’s partners Sterling.
“We are still at an early stage in the investigation and will inform the market when a clearer picture of the extent of necessary repairs emerges.
“We will continue to work closely with the operator RWE Dea in order to resolve the issues and resume production as quickly as possible.”