Workers are being removed from a North Sea platform over ongoing problems with diesel contaminating its water supply.
Staff on BP’s Magnus installation were warned of the issue earlier this month but an investigation has failed to find the source of the contamination.
The problem was first discovered when workers reported a smell of diesel when showering on the platform, which is based around 100 miles north-east of Shetland.
BP said 40 non-essential staff were being taken off the platform. There will still be 140 members of staff on the rig.
The company also said it had flushed the tanks and was confident there was no longer any contamination. But the supply narrowly failed a quality test last week. The company also insists the level of contamination to the water supply is far below the level that could cause health problems.
A spokesman said: “A detailed inspection programme to determine the root cause of the potable water issue on Magnus is ongoing.
“In order to lessen the impact of this inspection work on the teams offshore we have decided to remove a small number of non-essential personnel from the platform. Around 40 of the 180 on board are expected to be taken off. Our priority remains to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those remaining on the platform and understand the source of contamination.”
After carrying out tests, the firm issued a safety notice to all staff.
The oil major issued bottled water for drinking, cooking and teeth cleaning.
One offshore worker, who spoke to the Press & Journal last week, described the offshore facilities as “stinking”.
