ConocoPhillips (UK) Limited, one of the world's largest oil and gas exploration and production companies, has been fined after gas leaks on an offshore platform endangered workers lives.
The company admitted to serious safety failings after two uncontrolled and one controlled but unexpected gas release occurred on the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System, 70 miles off the Lincolnshire coast.
On 30 November 2012 gas was released following maintenance work to replace a gas pressure control valve on one of the turbines used to generate electricity for the installation. Gas releases occurred due to a number of deficiencies in isolation and planning. A breakdown in communication across the five platforms led to some workers incorrectly believing the platform was gas free; this put the lives of the 66 workers on board at risk if an ignition had occurred.
The management of this emergency was also made difficult by a loss of electrical power. This put the workers who were sent to investigate at extreme risk of death or serious injury. During this incident it is estimated that 603kg of hydrocarbon gas was released into the turbine hall.
A second incident occurred just a day later on 1 December 2012, after batteries ran down leading to another gas release. On this occasion the isolation valve was closed in time which prevented the accumulation of gas in the turbine hall.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served the company with a prohibition notice on 13 December 2012 for failing to control the gas releases.
HSE inspector John Hawkins commented: ''There was a failure to identify the risk posed by the high-pressure vent systems when carrying out intrusive maintenance work. ConocoPhillips failed to put in place appropriate process isolations to isolate the high-pressure vent from the worksite. An assessment of the full extent of the maintenance intervention work was not carried out and the full isolations required were not identified. Our investigations indicate there was a deviation from following procedures fully. The underlying cause of the incident was the inadequate implementation, control and oversight of the permit to work system, and the common isolation procedure. It is only a matter of good fortune these incidents didn’t result in a serious, tragic incident."
ConocoPhilips (UK) Limited pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations SI 1995/743. They were fined £3,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £159,459.
