An investigation by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has concluded that a 13 July 2011 fire at BP's Valhall platform was the result of numerous safety breaches, the authority said 5 January 2012.
No one was injured in the 13 July 2011 fire, which took about 90 minutes to extinguish. Workers had to be evacuated from the platform, located 180 miles off the southern coast of Norway in 70m water depths. Production was shut in for nine weeks following the accident.
The PSA concluded in its report that the fire began after a crane engine overheated, which caused turbine exhaust fumes to ignite flammable gasses from the vent stack. Regulators listed lack of maintenance, deficient maintenance management, inadequacies in risk identification and deficient barrier management as factors that lead to the engine overheating.
PSA regulators said the fire could have been much worse.
'Under slightly different circumstances…it could have escalated and created a serious position on the installation, with personal injuries or loss of life,' the report said.
BP has said the report confirms the company's own findings and that it has taken actions to correct safety problems.
The PSA ordered BP to establish a new safety plan by 1 February 2012 and to be in compliance with the plan by the first of July.
BP operates Valhall with 36% interest. Hess holds the remaining 64% interest.
By: Audrey Leon,aleon@oilonline.com
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