ExxonMobil has down-manned facilities offshore Canada in advance of a winter storm expected to sweep through the area, says the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB).
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| The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-16 satellite captured a view of the "bomb cyclone" moving up the east coast of North America on 4 January 2018. Credit: NOAA/CIRA. |
The board says that, based on forecast weather and sea-state conditions specific to the Sable Offshore Energy Project facilities, ExxonMobil would take non-essential personnel off both the Thebaud platform, and from the Noble Regina Allen jackup drilling rig, built in 2013 to a Friede & Goldman JU3000N design.
The Thebaud complex is connected by a 200 kilometre subsea pipeline to a gas plant located at Goldboro, Guysborough County, where a winter storm warning was in place yesterday, according to the Canadian government's weather warning service.
"Easterly winds gusting to 100km/h are forecast for these areas Thursday afternoon and evening which will give extensive blowing and drifting snow and near zero visibility at times," it said.
ExxonMobil says it will continue to monitor forecast conditions to determine if further precautionary down-manning is required, says the CNSOPB.
Meanwhile, Encana advised CNSOPB that, based on the forecast weather and sea-state conditions at their Deep Panuke production field centre, a precautionary down-manning of their facilities was not required at this time.
The Sable Project is made up of seven offshore platforms in five different fields with 21 wells, and 340km of subsea pipeline. The fields are Thebaud, North Triumph, Venture, Alma and South Venture.
The development is spread over 200sq km near Sable Island in the North Atlantic Ocean. The seven platforms are in shallow water with depths between 22-76m.
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