UK HSE: Oil company fined for hydrocarbon release – lack of written procedures
- Safety Flash
- Published on 11 August 2021
- Generated on 15 March 2025
- IMCA SF 22/21
- 2 minute read
What happened?
The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an oil company after it failed to provide written safety procedures for the depressurisation of an oil well, which led to the release of more than 1000 kg of hydrocarbon gas at the Beryl Alpha production installation in the North Sea, in June 2014.
What went wrong?
A production technician was set to carry out a depressurisation task on a well, a task he had performed on previous occasions. However, he was not provided with any written safety procedures; the expectation was that he would carry out this complex task from memory.
Four flammable gas detectors detected gas in the area and automatically activated the platform water deluge system. The general platform alarm sounded, and all 134 workers went to their muster stations.
The gas release continued, and the installation remained at muster stations for more than six hours.
What was the cause?
Investigation found that deficiencies in the company’s safety management system (SMS) led to a release of more than 1000 kg of hydrocarbon gas. They had failed to carry out a risk assessment for depressurising gas lift wells, which meant there was a lack of suitable written procedures.
The use of a formalised written procedures would have ensured that this task was carried out correctly in a safe and consistent manner across all staff shifts, preventing the safety critical emergency shutdown system from being disabled during well depressurisation. The prolonged duration and magnitude of the release was a direct consequence of the inadvertent defeating of the emergency shutdown system in this instance.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching The Offshore Installations Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response Regulations 1995 (PFEER) and was fined £400,000.
The HSE inspector noted, among other things, that “the depressurisation of an oil well is a safety critical task, and so should have been formalised in a written procedure to set out a specified sequence of operations to perform the task correctly and prevent potential fatal consequences.”
Related Safety Flashes
-
IMCA SF 23/19
30 September 2019
-
-
IMCA SF 12/12
14 November 2012
-
IMCA SF 03/03
1 April 2003
IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of the entire offshore industry.
The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on the industry sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Incidents are classified according to IOGP's Life Saving Rules.
All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate, and warnings for graphic content included where possible.
IMCA makes every effort to ensure both the accuracy and reliability of the information shared, but is not be liable for any guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.
The information contained in this document does not fulfil or replace any individual's or Member's legal, regulatory or other duties or obligations in respect of their operations. Individuals and Members remain solely responsible for the safe, lawful and proper conduct of their operations.
Share your safety incidents with IMCA online. Sign-up to receive Safety Flashes straight to your email.