• The audit was conducted from 18 to 25 April 2024
  • A notification of order was sent to Equinor on 28 June 2024
  • The order was issued on 12 July 2024

Background

In 2020, we carried out an audit of Equinor’s risk and barrier managementoverall risk and barrier management at Norne (our case no. 2020/1260). In 2022, we carried out an audit of Equinor’s management of major accident risk and technical barriers at Norne (our case no. 2022/301).

Objective

The objective of the audit was to assess how Equinor ensures compliance with regulatory requirements related to the management of risk and technical barriers in the operation of the Norne FPSO.

Result

The audit in 2024 was a continuation of an audit in 2022 directed at Equinor’s management of major accident risk and technical barriers at Norne.

The audit in 2022 described several weaknesses of barrier functions against major accidents as having existed for a number of years. In the audit in 2024, we saw that the improvement of significant and serious barrier weaknesses was still taking longer than planned.

The 2024 audit identified breaches of regulatory provisions in respect of

  • Failure to perform corrective maintenance
  • Deficient planning and prioritisation
  • Defective follow-up of the alarm systems
  • Passive fire protection
  • Deficient labelling of facilities, systems and equipment

We also observed one factor that we have chosen to categorise as an improvement point. This concerned:

  • Follow-up of failure rate of PSD functions

In the audit, we also investigated how Equinor has addressed certain previously identified non-conformities. We found that the following non-conformities had not been fully addressed in line with the company’s feedback:

  • Non-conformity 5.1.1 concerning inadequate planning and prioritisation, our journal entry 2022/301
  • Non-conformity 5.1.2 concerning non-conformity handling, our journal entry 2022/301

Order

The audit of technical safety, electrical systems, automation and risk management at Norne identified serious breaches of the regulations. We have consequently issued Equinor with the following order:

Pursuant to the Framework Regulations, section 69 concerning administrative decisions, with reference to the Activities Regulations, section 25 concerning

the use of facilities, second paragraph, we order Equinor to assess restrictions on the activity level of the facility, as a result of the identified non-conformities and the status of previous non-conformities; see Chapters 4.2 and 5.1.2 of the report.

The deadline for complying with the order is 1 October 2024. We are to be notified when the order has been carried out. We are to be notified when the order has been carried out. The feedback must contain an overview of measures with an associated schedule.