Barrier management probe finds irregularities on Statoil’s Kristin

Norway’s safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has found five non-conformities and several improvement points during an audit of Statoil’s barrier management at the Kristin platform off Norway. 

PSA said on Friday that the audit revealed regulatory non-conformities relating to appropriate risk analysis, non-conformity handling, the process safety system, notifying the PSA of a gas leak, and emergency preparedness performance requirements.

The audit also identified improvement points in connection with contingency plans, maintenance history, securing of valves, the emergency shutdown system, scaffolding in the processing facility, and the use of gratings made from composite materials in evacuation routes

The safety body added that the audit at the Kristin field was conducted from March 6-10. The audit took place as a meeting at Statoil’s premises, followed by interviews, discussions, and verifications on the Kristin platform.

The audit was part of a series of audits aimed at the participants’ management of barriers during offshore activities.

PSA told Statoil to report on how the non-conformities would be dealt with and how the improvement points would be assessed by June 12, at the latest.

Kristin field

Located in the southwest part of Halten Bank in the Norwegian Sea, the Kristin field came online on November 3, 2005.

The field has been developed with 12 production wells in four subsea templates, tied back to a semi-submersible production platform.

The reservoir is located in approximately 5,000 feet of water. Pressure and temperature in the reservoir, which stand at 900 bar and 170 degrees Celsius respectively, are higher than in any field developed on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.