Offshore workers on the Ninian Central platform in the North Sea endured five days with only limited emergency power generation due to “planned” repairs.
Energy Voice understands workers on Ninian were left without hot water, hot food, adequate lighting and laundry services during that time.
In a statement to Energy Voice, operator CNR International UK said it shut down production on Ninian Central on Saturday 3 August to carry out planned essential repairs to the seawater system.
“As a result, the platform main power generator was taken offline and emergency generators were running to provide limited power,” CNR International said.
“The platform has continued on emergency power, and as a result, some personnel have been transported off the platform and a reduced crew remains in place.”
The company did not confirm whether it planned to rely on emergency power and return personnel to shore prior to production shutting down.
A subsidiary of Calgary-based Canadian Natural Resources, CNR International said the main power generator came back online at 5pm on Wednesday.
However, the firm said production on Ninian Central will remain shut down until the seawater system works are fully completed.
“The safety of personnel is a core value for CNR International, and the company has been in regular contact with the crew safety representatives to update them on progress,” the company said.
Energy Voice contacted Ninian Central contractors Bilfinger and Torus BGP for comment.
Torus BGP did not respond and a spokesperson for Bilfinger referred Energy Voice to the CNR International statement.
Ninian Central
Weighing 600,000 tonnes, Ninian Central was the world’s largest man-made moveable object when it was installed in the North Sea in 1978.
Last year, CNR International announced it would shut down its remaining assets at the Ninian field, including Ninian Central, due to “challenging” market conditions in the UK.
The decision kicked off what is likely to be a lengthy decommissioning process for the monumental structure and the Ninian Southern platform.
CNR International decommissioned the nearby Ninian Northern platform in 2020, with demolition taking place in Lerwick.
In 2023, CNR International ranked 16th among North Sea operators in terms of production.
Recommended for you
