Total fined over North Sea gas leak
Oil firm Total was fined more than a million pounds today following a gas leak in the North Sea.
Oil firm Total was fined more than a million pounds today after rig workers were put at risk of a major fire and explosion following a gas leak in the North Sea.
The Elgin platform and Rowan Viking jack-up drilling rig were evacuated after gas began spewing into the atmosphere from a ruptured well on the platform in March 2012.
Seven men working closest to the leak on the wellhead platform spotted they were in danger and fled from the area in fear of their lives.
Total had been experiencing problems with high pressure gas leaking into wells in the Elgin field since 2001 but had adopted "bleeding-off" procedures to manage the issue.
However, a "sudden uncontrolled release" of gas erupted from the G4 well at 12:30pm on the 25th of March. Within the first few minutes, an estimated three to four tonnes of high pressure gas and condensate leaked into the air.
Engineers had devised a plan to kill the well due to its "seriously degraded" condition in the weeks leading up to the incident.
This involved a two-stage 'wait and weight' method where the well is initially shut in to stabilise high pressures. Heavy weight calcium bromide was pumped into production tubing to remove hydrocarbons, followed by mud to shut down the well.
The operation was initially deemed a success, however well pressures increased rapidly and began behaving erratically. Gas began spewing from the ruptured well.
It was eventually brought under control after 51 days when specialists were called in from America.
Total appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted a charge under the Offshore Installations and Wells regulations 1996.
The oil firm pled guilty to failing to identify and implement sufficient control measures to reduce the risk of gas leaking during the well kill operation and were fined 1,125000 pounds.
Fiscal depute Geoff Main said: "In the hours leading up to the sudden uncontrolled release, control of well G4 was lost with rising pressures which personnel were unable to reduce, despite continual bleeding of the well annuli.
"Approximately 15 minutes before the sudden uncontrolled release, the Elgin Offshore Installation manager decided that control of well G4 had been lost and he began to initiate down manning the Wellhead Platform and Rowan Viking.
"While the G4 release occurred on 25 March 2012, seven men were working on the Wellhead Platform in close proximity to the release and therefore at greatest risk.
"The sudden uncontrolled release released high pressure, flammable gas and condensate on to the wellhead platform, immediately endangering the lives of those seven men on the platform.
"These seven men ran from the wellhead platform to the Elgin PUQ in fear of their lives.
"The sudden uncontrolled release had the potential to result in a major fire and explosion."
All 238 staff were evacuated from the complex and the nearby drilling rig, the Rowan Viking, amid fears of an explosion.
Concerns were raised over a flare continuing to burn on the tower above the utilities platform for several days.
But it eventually went out by itself and specialist contractors were able to safely fly out to the installation.
The court heard that Total called in the help of well control experts from Houston in Texas.
Specialists travelled out to the platform and killed the well by pumping heavy drilling mud down the well.
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation and concluded that casings and/or their connections had likely failed causing the gas leak.
Total had miscalculated the pressure of fluid entering the well and the weight of fluid needed to carry out the initial well kill operation.
Defence counsel, Peter Gray QC, said his client had not made a deliberate error and had not demonstrated a wilful disregard for its obligations.
He said: "It was not a failing as a result of any degree of recklessness.
"It was as a result of a genuine error, following anxious consideration by competent and experienced personnel in challenging and complex circumstances."
The court heard that the incident had not created any environmental hazards and the results of the investigation had been shared across the industry.