Oil firm BP has started returning staff to its Valhall complex after evacuating the facility when an adrift barge started drifting towards it as fierce weather continued to wreak havoc across the UK and Norway. ConocoPhillips had also downmanned its Eldfisk platform earlier today, due to the risk posed by the barge.
This morning, BP initially decided to evacuate 150 people, leaving around 80 on board. But, mid-morning the firm said it was removing all staff and shutting in production. Later, Reuters reported that the Rescue Coordination Centre for southern Norway said the barge had drifted past the platform without incident. Bloomberg has since reported that the barge is now under control and being towed to the Norwegian coast. According to the UK's Telegraph newspaper, the barge is Norway's Eide Marine services's Eide Barge 33 semisubmersible barge, which is 100m-long with 15,000-tonne dead weight.
ConocoPhillips also reportedly shutdown production from the Eldfisk and Embla fields, due to the removal of 145 staff from the Eldfisk platform, leaving minimum staffing on board, as a result of the drifting barge, which was being towed across the North Sea but hit 10-15m high waves.
Yesterday, one person died and two more were injured after a giant wave broke over China Oilfield Services Limited's COSL Innovator semisubmersible drilling rig on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has launched an investigation in to the incident, which it said is the first fatal accident in the petroleum industry offshore Norway since 2009.
Valhall, a seven platform complex, is in 70m water depth in the southern sector of the Norwegian North Sea. Production started in 1982. The original quarters platform was built to accommodate 208 people, but due to subsidence the airgap between the cellar deck and the sea level has reduced, so only 177 people have been allowed to stay on the facility. It was shut-in for an indefinite period as of December 21, due to not being granted a life extension by the PSA, and BP has been in dialogue with the PSA for continued restricted use. A new production and hotel platform was installed in 2013, with accommodation for 180 people.
Storm Frank, as it has been named by UK weather watchers, has been sweeping across the UK and the North Sea, across to Norway. Onshore, it has caused thousands of homes to be flooded, and bridges, roads and infrastructure damaged as rivers have broken their banks. Offshore workers have posted videos showing how close waves have been getting to facilities, including hitting windows in some cases - see OE's Facebook page for a video.
Meanwhile, Marathon Oil shut down production on the Brae Alpha facility after a gas leak discovered on Boxing Day.
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Image: Valhall on a calmer day
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