Elgin North Sea Platform evacuation

[Savoia]

Mystery gas leak forces hundreds of oil workers to be evacuated from North Sea platform amid fears of explosion


- A four mile exclusion zone has been set up around the Elgin Total platform

- Texan 'Hellfighters' who tackled the Deepwater Horizon disaster have reportedly been called in

- Shell has also pulled out workers from nearby rigs

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/27/article-2120950-1256AB7C000005DC-669_634x507.jpg
Danger: A leak from the Elgin rig (pictured) has led to more than 300 workers being evacuated from that and surrounding oil and gas platforms

An exclusion zone stretching up to four miles has been set up around a North Sea oil platform because it is leaking gas and could explode.In the last two days hundreds of workers have also been evacuated off or away from the Elgin Total platform, which stands 150 miles from the Aberdeen coast.Coastguards have today demanded shipping stays at least two miles away, planes must keep a distance of three miles, while rigs up to four miles away are being emptied in case they get caught up in any explosion.It is also being reported the team of Texan 'Hellfighters' who battled the Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010, which killed 11 and injured 16, is being brought to Scotland by Total to prevent or tackle a blast.The incident in the Gulf of Mexico shocked the world and cost oil giant BP almost £5 billion in reparations, and anything on that scale would be unprecedented in Britain.

Fears have risen because the Total rig is now surrounded by a giant gas cloud, with a sheen of liquid gas on the water - a tell-tale sign there is a large leak. David Hainsworth, health, safety and environment manager for Total, told the Good Morning Scotland programme that there are risks around the situation.

He said: 'The gas is flammable but the platform power was turned off to minimise risk of ignition, but clearly there is a risk.'We have taken away a series of risks but there is always a possibility, it's low but you never say never.


More (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2120950/North-Sea-oil-rig-Mystery-gas-leak-forces-workers-evacuated-amid-fears-explosion.html)

[SASless]

Will Total demand t some of its own "Heads" as they did to Bristow in Nigeria?

[Anthony Supplebottom]

Will Total demand t some of its own "Heads" as they did to Bristow in Nigeria?

Total are French.

I hope that answers your question.

[Fareastdriver]

Socking great big high pressure system over the North Sea with record temperatures in Scotland. They are going to have to wait until that moves or collapses so that the wind can blow; then they can sneak up to it from upwind.

[SASless]

I don't think I would want to riding in a paraffin Budgie when I did that!

[HeliHenri]

Total are French. I hope that answers your question.

Hello Anthony Supplebottom and thanks for this kind remark :D("bravo" in french).

But don't worry, French are really bad guys (and ugly:}) but not that stupid, they will ask help from real professionals (and nice guys) of that type of event, BP for exemple. :rolleyes:

[helihub]

HeliHenri - Assuming I read the intentions of your update correctly, we established in the Gulf of Mexico that BP is as much a US company as it is a UK company - about 39% owned in each country and 22% owned in other countries. The fact BP one time stood for British Petroleum is merely a fact of history. Given Total is listed in Paris and New York, it likely has a widely spread ownership too, including 5% by the French Government!

Going back to the original story, see that 238 personnel have been evacuated onshore from Elgin, and no injuries have been reported. Production on the Elgin, Franklin and West Franklin fields is fully stopped (from Total News page (http://www.total.com/en/about-total/news-940499.html))

[Phone Wind]

Total shareholders are predominantly European (67%), held in particular by investors from France (34%), the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany, with a strong number of Dutch, Swiss and Irish shareholders. Strong shareholder base in North America (26,5%).
Institutional shareholders (88%), employees (4%) and other individual shareholders (8%).
Total S.A. is a French société anonyme (limited company) created in France in March 1924, listed on Paris, London, Brussels and New York Exchanges.
Total is listed on the CAC 40, Dow Jones Stoxx 50, Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 and Dow Jones Global Titans indices and the FTSE4Good, DJSI World, DJ STOXX SI, and ASPI Sustainable Development and Governance indices.

[BusinessMan]

Morning All,

I'd be interested to hear any details about the down man operation from anyone involved. I guess it was primarily (or entirely?) crew-change cabs? Was there an aircraft flying in the Airborne Co-ordinator (ACO) role? Did they set up a TFR area? Sounds like a smooth job well done :D according to the media and I'd be interested to hear about it.

Cheers, BM

[Savoia]

'One spark and another Piper Alpha on our hands': Fears grow as explosive gas leak from 'well from hell' threatens repeat of Britain's deadliest rig disaster

Fears were growing today that a single spark could lead to a repeat of Britain's deadliest rig disaster.A huge gas leak at a platform off the British coast may lead to an explosion like that seen in the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, it is claimed.

One spark could ignite the gas cloud – so big it can be seen eight miles away – above the platform. Experts who admitted they still do not know the exact location of the leak or how much gas is emerging say it could take six months to fix.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/28/article-2121457-125DB7C4000005DC-979_964x710.jpg

More (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121457/One-spark-Piper-Alpha-hands-Fears-grow-explosive-gas-leak-hell-threatens-repeat-Britains-deadliest-rig-disaster.html)

[Daysleeper]

Fears were growing today that a single spark could lead to a repeat of Britain's deadliest rig disaster.

except that everybody has been removed from this platform...sooooo not like that at all really.

[Helinut]

It all depends, but:

If there was some sort of process "upset" (which is highly likely during a shutdown) it would be essential to keep the flare going to allow the different systems to de-pressurise and cope with system overpressures. If you don't have that sort of flare system operating, you could blow a hydrocarbon system apart (mechanically) releasing a massive inventory of flammable gas and liquid. The flare system is located to minimise the chance of ignition of unignited vapours already released.

In the end though it is a rock and a hard place argument.

[ironchefflay]

I guess it was primarily (or entirely?) crew-change cabs?

according to one quality newspaper there were 4 coastguard aircraft involved, 3 from Aberdeen and one from Norway.

coastguard statement said three rescue helicopters and 4 civilian. this one is more correct!!

i dont know the actual details but i know there were CHC and Bristow aircraft involved and CHC at least have been heavily involved in shuttling and moving over last couple of days. was a blue white and red helicopter lifted the last crew off the elgin early morning monday.

[Carbon Bootprint]

Here's an interesting account detailing the crucial role of the RAF, particularly in coordinating air traffic for a multi-craft, multi-national evacuation operation:

RAF evacuates workers from gas-leak oil rig | Waypoint AirMed and Rescue Magazine (http://www.waypointmagazine.com/story353)

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) given detail on how RAF helicopter crews took part in the dramatic rescue of more than 200 workers from the Elgin oil rig in the North Sea, which began leaking toxic, flammable gas on 25 March.

Two RAF Sea King helicopters were scrambled to assist the operation to evacuate a total of 238 workers from the oil platform and the nearby Rowan Viking drilling rig. An aircraft from A Flight, 202 Squadron based at RAF Boulmer, was the first military helicopter on the scene, 145 miles from land, and was followed by another Sea King from D Flight, 22 Squadron, based at RAF Kinloss.

RAF Search and Rescue Force Chief of Staff Wing Commander Andrew ‘Harry’ Palmer praised the skills of the aircrew and personnel at the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) at RAF Kinloss, who at one stage were dealing with up to eight civilian and military helicopters involved in the rescue bid: “Some sharp, smart thinking by the ARCC at RAF Kinloss was the key to making it all happen, and good leadership and command by RAF Boulmer and RAF Lossiemouth helicopter captains saved lives and prevented what could have been another Piper Alpha disaster.” An explosion and fire on the Piper Alpha gas platform in 1988 resulted in the deaths of 167 workers.

The first aircraft on the scene was a commercial helicopter from the Norwegian sector of the North Sea that had already evacuated a number of workers from the Rowan Viking rig. Wg Cdr Palmer explained: “The RAF Boulmer helicopter then arrived and took control and drove what turned out to be a multi-aircraft and multi-nation plan to move more than 200 workers off the Elgin Rig complex to another platform in an adjacent gas field.” He added: “The RAF Lossiemouth aircraft joined shortly thereafter and aided in the evacuation and air co-ordination effort of what was a growing fleet of military and commercial helicopters – a total of seven were queuing for the rig’s helicopter landing site at one stage.”

Sea King pilot Flight Lieutenant Gareth Dore of A Flight, 202 Squadron, based at RAF Boulmer, described how his helicopter made three airlifts of a total of 29 oil workers from the Elgin complex to the safety of a nearby platform: “As we arrived on the scene, a civilian helicopter from the Norwegian sector had been on the scene for some time and had evacuated personnel from the Rowan Viking rig. We then made an approach to Elgin platform where we made our first lift of 10 personnel. On the transit to the drop off, I contacted the ARCC and requested that other incoming aircraft were passed information on the height and speed at which they should approach the rig and the visibility conditions.” He continued: “We then made a further two lifts of personnel, totalling 29 in total. The workload at this point was challenging but manageable.”

Flt Lt Dore said that after the third lift, there were a total of five aircraft in the area and the decision was taken to climb to 600 m (2,000 ft) above a layer of haze and to co-ordinate and manage the rescue effort from there.

Wg Cdr Palmer commented: “The main part of the evacuation, which began just before midday on Sunday, was successfully completed before dark with no issues.”



Was there an aircraft flying in the Airborne Co-ordinator (ACO) role? Did they set up a TFR area?It would appear from the above account that the emergency plan put into effect did not establish this, but the RAF quickly realized the complexity of the operation and rose (no pun intended) in a professional manner to handle it.

[Wizzard]

Thank God the RAF were there! What in God's name would we have done without them?












Just got on with the job I s'pose.

[Shell Management]

At least the experts in risk assessment were called in to detemine when it was safe to reoccuppy the installation by air. CHC's safety team can be justifiably proud of their bowties

[cyclic]

Thank God the RAF were there! What in God's name would we have done without them?

Another one who didn't get in....:ok:

[BusinessMan]

ironchefflay & Carbon Bootprint - thanks for adding those details, I somehow missed your posts until today.

Sounds like a job well done with that first RAF cab taking on the ACO role (even if not in formal name). Not necessarily an easy role to play with that many a/c (and with different capabilities) involved.

Cheers, BM

[Makila2a]

I wonder if the sea-king is a good aircraft to undertake an ACO role, I'm sure the guys did a great job, but wouldn't there be something more better suited?

Oh hang on I remember now! It did a variety of things, we even went to all the trouble, at taxpayers expense, of building 3 brand new ones only for our highly elected to come along and chop them all up!

But I think I'm starting to drift this thread so I'll stop :ok: