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shell has been fined £560,000 after a major hydrocarbon release north sea The oil rig failed to properly maintain the pipework for seven years.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the oil and gas giant neglected pipework on the Brent Charlie platform, creating a risk of an explosion.
It said the pipework deteriorated to such an extent that hydrocarbon liquids inside leaked out, creating a potentially devastating explosive and flammable mixture.
The HSE said ventilation fans designed to reduce the impact of escaped hydrocarbon gas were not working properly due to a lack of maintenance, leading to large quantities of mixed-phase crude oil and gas being released from damaged pipework.
The uncontrolled hydrocarbon release occurred on May 19, 2017 and was the largest incident reported to the HSE that year, involving 200 kg of gas and 1,550 kg of crude oil.
The HSE said the 176 workers working on the rig were at risk of an explosion if the escaping hydrocarbon gas caught fire, but the chance of a fire was estimated at less than 1%.
The HSE also said that the platform manager and various emergency teams deserve praise for their decision-making, which helped prevent the incident from escalating.
Shell UK pleaded guilty to two charges under the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 and was sentenced. aberdeen Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that the leak occurred within the return oil line (ROL) pipework inside concrete leg column four.
The HSE investigation found deficiencies in Shell’s safety management system, which led to the ROL pipework in column four not being properly maintained for several years.
It found that the pipework was installed for short-term use and was to be removed in 2010, but it remained in place for seven years.
After considering mitigating factors, the company was fined £560,000 by Sheriff Ian Duguid.
HSE offshore health and safety inspector Dozi Azubic said: “At more than 1,750 kilograms, Shell Brent Charlie’s hydrocarbon release was the largest incident reported to the HSE in 2017.
“This release occurred in a confined space with limited access – it was simply fortunate that no one was on foot at the time, or they could have been suffocated by the hydrocarbon-rich atmosphere, in addition to any fire and explosion risks.
“Although the offshore industry has managed to reduce its total number of hydrocarbon emissions, in most years there are still many which, if ignited, would have potentially catastrophic consequences.
“This case highlights the importance of reviewing the current management of change procedures for temporary spools of oil and gas charge-holders and their subsequent removal, strengthening inspection regimes to identify potential internal corrosion within pipework, and ensuring that the inspection frequency of safety-critical equipment considers a full analysis of the equipment’s maintenance history.”
A Shell spokesperson said: “Shell’s focus on the safety and care of our people is deeply embedded in our culture and influences every decision we make.
“When an alarm alerted us to a gas leak at Brent Charlie in 2017, emergency procedures were immediately followed and no one was harmed.
“The prosecutor accepted our analysis that the risk of the leak provoking a flare-up was extremely low.
“However, our normal preventive measures did not solve this problem.
“We have investigated and made sure this cannot happen again.”
Debbie Carroll, who leads the health and safety investigation for the Crown Office, said: “Shell UK Ltd failed to take adequate and appropriate measures to prevent a potential fire and explosion.
“Failure to monitor the degradation of the temporary spool resulted in a large leak of hydrocarbons, which had the potential to cause a fire or explosion, creating significant and unacceptable risk.
“This prosecution should remind duty holders that failing to meet their obligations to keep their workers safe can have serious consequences and they will be held to account for this failure.”