Husky Energy has been ordered to suspend operations on the SeaRose vessel off Canada’s east coast after a near miss with an iceberg.
The iceberg entered the exclusion zone around the FPSO in March 2017, according to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB).
The regulator said that should have been the cue for Husky to disconnect the FPSO and sail away from the threat.
“That action was not taken and personnel were at one point instructed to muster and ‘brace for impact’,” the authority said.
The vessel, located 350kilometres east of St John’s, was hosting 84 workers and 340,000 barrels of oil at the time.
A preliminary investigation found Husky had failed to follow its ice management plan, prompting the decision to suspend operations.
Calgary-headquartered Husky said it would undertake “all steps necessary” to comply with the directive.
Husky chief executive Rob Peabody said: “We could have and should have responded differently according to the pre-existing plan, and we will learn from this incident.
“We will work with the C-NLOPB and take the actions necessary to satisfy the regulator.”