Interesting reading the report as I have been based on ETAP. The weather reports at night from ETAP cannot in reality be anything more than a guess by the platform personnel.
There is no method of measuring cloudbase or visibility. When the offshore shuttle was moved from the 40s (which had a cloudbase measurer) a similar system was asked for but not forthcoming.
The removal of the standby boat removed any way of estimating visibility as the nearest platform is in excess of 10nm away so once viz comes below 10nm you are staring into blackness and it is impossible to say, with any form of accuracy, what the viz is. The flare stack is approx 500ft high so if the cloud can be seen scudding through it you know it the cloudbase is around or below 500ft. Otherwise pure guess work.
One question that should be asked is why there was no cloudbase recorder fitted - especially after a request was made for one circa 2007?
The N Sea has many local weather patterns so you can't rely on cloudbases measured from other rigs. I have seen ETAP VMC while the 40s about 45nms away was in fog.
HF