PSA probes production tubing accident at North Sea Statfjord complex
Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway — The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) is investigating an incident last Sunday that led to an injury on the Statfjord B platform in the North Sea, operated by Equinor.
During an operation to remove the clamps/blind hub from new production tubing, bolts loosened while the tubing still contained gas under pressure.
The energy release that followed threw the 34-kg blind hub 1.5 m into the air before descending, causing facial injuries to one person who had to be flown ashore for treatment.
A sealing ring (weight unknown) also fell to an underlying level where it grazed another person’s arm.
Hydrocarbons released during the incident activated two gas detectors, leading to a general alarm and mustering, in compliance with instructions. An automatic shutdown of the facility also followed, with the second-line response mustered.
The PSA’s investigating team has started its review, and it will support the police inquiry.
Equinor today issued its latest review of safety across its operations during the first quarter, stating that there had been no incidents with major accident potential or serious well control incident.
During January and February, however, four incidents did lead to serious injuries. And the company’s overall recordable injury frequency rose to 2.7 million per million hours worked, up from 2.5 million at year-end 2022.
The improvement focus in the second quarter will be on reducing the number of injuries.
“We are currently in a period of high activity, and for this reason we must focus strongly on safety across our industry. It is vital that we collaborate with and include our suppliers to improve our safety results,” said Jannicke Nilsson, Equinor’s executive vice president for safety, security and sustainability.
Through the “Always Safe” process, the company is working with other operating companies and suppliers to improve understanding of conditions that are preventing safe work.
Recently Equinor introduced an e-learning course on preventing major accidents, mandatory for all its employees and available to its suppliers.
04.27.2023
