Shell North Sea leak highlights concerns over ageing infrastructure #NSO12

The Guardian reported Shell had been able to stop its North Sea leak after 10 days on Friday 19th.

“Shell has finally stopped the leak from its faulty oil pipeline in the North Sea, ending the flow of oil undersea after 10 days of the worst oil spill in UK waters for a decade.

Divers closed a relief valve which was the source of a small secondary leak, discovered after the first major leak in the pipeline at the Gannet Alpha platform had been plugged last week. Government officials are now opening an investigation into how the leak occurred and whether the correct procedures were followed. They will also have to decide whether Shell should pay for government expenses incurred in the clean-up operation.”

For full article click here

The UK government is also in the spotlight, with questions being asked about the robustness of the UK’s regulatory regime for offshore oil exploration, especially given the problem of ageing infrastructure. The Gannet Alpha rig is believed to be nearly 20 years old, yet earlier this year was regularly pumping 13,500 barrels of oil each day. Reported Energy and Environmental Management

For full article click here 

Gunther Newcombe, Vice President Decommissioning with BP joined the Oil and Gas Outlook North Sea event in 2011 and delivered a presentation on ‘BP’s approach to decommissioning in the North Sea’

For more information and to download Gunther’s presentation click here