Operated by Seadrill Europe Management, this mobile drilling facility received an acknowledgement of compliance (AoC) from the PSA in October 2020. When the incident occurred, it was under contract to operator company Lundin.
The incident happened on West Bollsta’s drill floor when a length of riser was being lifted from a horizontal position to the vertical with the aid of hydraulic handling equipment.
Said to measure 22.9 metres long, the pipe weighs 26.5 tonnes. It had almost reached vertical when it became detached from the handling equipment, skidded and fell to the drill floor.
The area was reportedly cordoned off, and no personal injury has been reported as a consequence of the incident.
Investigation
The PSA regards the incident as serious, and an investigation team drawn from its specialist staff is now starting work.
The main objective of the investigation is to identify the causes of the incident and possible lessons to be learnt, and to share this information with the industry.
In conducting its investigation, the PSA will
- clarify the course of events and the scope of the incident
- assess the actual and potential consequences of the incident
- identify direct and underlying causes
- identify nonconformities and improvement points related to the regulations
- apply necessary enforcement powers to correct possible regulatory breaches
- make public its findings
- contribute to experience transfer to and learning by other players in the petroleum sector.
The investigation will be summed up in a report published at psa.no.