Shell on notice over UK gas leak

ABERDEEN, August 2, 2017 – The UK’s Health and Safety Executive served a prohibition notice to Shell over a gas leak at its Brent Charlie North Sea platform on May 19, the regulator said on Wednesday.

Last week, Shell told international media that it was preparing to restart the facility after the incident, which had caused no injuries but which the regulator said in an earlier prohibition notice could have led to a fire and an explosion.

“You have failed to make and give effect to appropriate controls to prevent said risk in that Deviation 589732 identifies the risks of exposure of personnel to hydrogen sulphide and hydrocarbon gas while accessing Column C1 but does not adequately describe how the measures will be organised, controlled, monitored or reviewed,” the latest notice read.

On February 8, Shell presented a detailed plan for decommissioning the Brent field over the next eight to 10 years.

“After 40 years of operations, almost all the economically recoverable reserves of oil and gas have been produced, and in line with UK legislation, the Brent field will now be decommissioned,” the company said on its website, adding that 154 wells would be plugged in the process.

The Brent field is home to the Brent Alpha, Brent Bravo, Brent Charlie and Brent Delta platforms, though Charlie was the only platform remaining in operation until the May incident.