Serpo
26th March 2012, 03:56 PM
With a gas cloud one spark can ignite an explosion so getting in there to stop it will pose some interesting problems
Elgin platform gas leak causes Shell to evacuate Shearwater
The BBC understands workers were told 'this is not a drill', before being evacuated
Shell is removing 85 non-essential workers from a platform and drilling rig close to Total's Elgin PUQ installation, which has been at the centre of a serious gas leak.
The oil giant said the move was a "precautionary measure" because of drifting gas.
The Elgin platform is in the North Sea about 150 miles (240km) off Aberdeen.
Union official Jake Molloy told BBC Scotland a gas cloud had now encircled the platform.
Total said it was trying to bring the leak under control but has not yet been able to identify the source.
All 238 workers were removed from the Elgin installation by helicopter on Sunday after the leaking gas was discovered.
A sheen of between two and 23 tonnes of gas condensate, and measuring six nautical miles in length, has been reported on the water nearby, and Total has activated its Oil Pollution Emergency Plan.
Shell confirmed on Monday evening it was flying non-essential personnel back to Aberdeen from its Shearwater platform and the nearby Hans Deul drilling rig.
The Shearwater and Elgin installations are about four miles apart.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
As far as we can tell, certainly in the UK sector, this is an unknown. It has never occurred before.”
Jake Molloy
RMT union
Mr Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union, said the gas cloud could be seen by people seven miles away.
He told BBC Radio Scotland he was not certain how the incident could be tackled.
He said: "As far as we can tell, certainly in the UK sector, this is an unknown. It has never occurred before.
"One drilling engineer that I have spoken to today says we could be looking at a Deepwater-type intervention, in that we have to drill a relief well from another rig, but even that will be dodgy if we have got gas continually escaping in the immediate region.
"As I understand it we have now got a no-fly zone and an exclusion zone of two miles around the installation."
Total said efforts were continuing to try to bring the leak under control.
'Prolonged period'
David Hainsworth, health, safety and environment manager for Total E&P UK, said it was coming from a well which may be connected to a non-productive reservoir.
He said it could potentially be difficult to bring under control
He added: "The release is continual at the moment. We have to evaluate the options available.
"We are mobilising experts from our headquarters in France and also consultants for well control.
"We will look at the options over the next day or two and see where we go. But it could continue for a prolonged period of time."
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been monitoring the situation and said there was no indication of a risk of significant pollution to the environment.
A surveillance plane, mobilised by Total, has been investigating the reports of a "sheen" on the water.
In a statement the DECC said: "The priority now is to plan an appropriate response to contain the leak and minimise the impact to the environment.
"Total have established their Emergency Response Centre (ERC) and have activated their Oil Pollution Emergency Plan.
"A DECC Offshore Environmental Inspector has been present in the ERC and DECC continues to monitoring the ongoing response."
Powered down
The evacuation of the Elgin platform and nearby Rowan Viking drilling rig began at 12:15 on Sunday soon after the leak was discovered, with 150 workers flown back to Aberdeen and 69 taken to neighbouring installations.
But 19 essential personnel, who initially remained aboard the Elgin platform, were also flown back to Aberdeen in the early hours of Monday morning, leaving it unstaffed and powered down.
Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico, went down in April 2010 after an explosion on the rig caused by a blowout, killing 11 crewmen and igniting a fireball visible from 35 miles (56 km) away.
It caused the largest offshore oil spill in US history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17505448#TWEET115126
Elgin platform gas leak causes Shell to evacuate Shearwater
The BBC understands workers were told 'this is not a drill', before being evacuated
Shell is removing 85 non-essential workers from a platform and drilling rig close to Total's Elgin PUQ installation, which has been at the centre of a serious gas leak.
The oil giant said the move was a "precautionary measure" because of drifting gas.
The Elgin platform is in the North Sea about 150 miles (240km) off Aberdeen.
Union official Jake Molloy told BBC Scotland a gas cloud had now encircled the platform.
Total said it was trying to bring the leak under control but has not yet been able to identify the source.
All 238 workers were removed from the Elgin installation by helicopter on Sunday after the leaking gas was discovered.
A sheen of between two and 23 tonnes of gas condensate, and measuring six nautical miles in length, has been reported on the water nearby, and Total has activated its Oil Pollution Emergency Plan.
Shell confirmed on Monday evening it was flying non-essential personnel back to Aberdeen from its Shearwater platform and the nearby Hans Deul drilling rig.
The Shearwater and Elgin installations are about four miles apart.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
As far as we can tell, certainly in the UK sector, this is an unknown. It has never occurred before.”
Jake Molloy
RMT union
Mr Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union, said the gas cloud could be seen by people seven miles away.
He told BBC Radio Scotland he was not certain how the incident could be tackled.
He said: "As far as we can tell, certainly in the UK sector, this is an unknown. It has never occurred before.
"One drilling engineer that I have spoken to today says we could be looking at a Deepwater-type intervention, in that we have to drill a relief well from another rig, but even that will be dodgy if we have got gas continually escaping in the immediate region.
"As I understand it we have now got a no-fly zone and an exclusion zone of two miles around the installation."
Total said efforts were continuing to try to bring the leak under control.
'Prolonged period'
David Hainsworth, health, safety and environment manager for Total E&P UK, said it was coming from a well which may be connected to a non-productive reservoir.
He said it could potentially be difficult to bring under control
He added: "The release is continual at the moment. We have to evaluate the options available.
"We are mobilising experts from our headquarters in France and also consultants for well control.
"We will look at the options over the next day or two and see where we go. But it could continue for a prolonged period of time."
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been monitoring the situation and said there was no indication of a risk of significant pollution to the environment.
A surveillance plane, mobilised by Total, has been investigating the reports of a "sheen" on the water.
In a statement the DECC said: "The priority now is to plan an appropriate response to contain the leak and minimise the impact to the environment.
"Total have established their Emergency Response Centre (ERC) and have activated their Oil Pollution Emergency Plan.
"A DECC Offshore Environmental Inspector has been present in the ERC and DECC continues to monitoring the ongoing response."
Powered down
The evacuation of the Elgin platform and nearby Rowan Viking drilling rig began at 12:15 on Sunday soon after the leak was discovered, with 150 workers flown back to Aberdeen and 69 taken to neighbouring installations.
But 19 essential personnel, who initially remained aboard the Elgin platform, were also flown back to Aberdeen in the early hours of Monday morning, leaving it unstaffed and powered down.
Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico, went down in April 2010 after an explosion on the rig caused by a blowout, killing 11 crewmen and igniting a fireball visible from 35 miles (56 km) away.
It caused the largest offshore oil spill in US history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17505448#TWEET115126