Eni briefs PSA Norway on Goliat progress as production remains shut

Eni Norge, a subsidiary of the Italian oil company Eni, on Friday attended a meeting with the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) over the recent shutdown of its Goliat offshore field in the Barents Sea.

According to PSA, Eni has decided not to resume production at the field until the proper measures are implemented and the management and workers agree that the giant cylindrical Goliat FPSO facility can be managed properly.

The operator has briefed the PSA about the ongoing efforts regarding the August 26 shutdown, and the plans for the overall review of the security situation at the facility. Statoil, as a licensee on Goliat with operator Eni Norway, also attended the meeting.

“‘We are comfortable that the facility remains shut down, and with the answers we’ve received from Eni Norge so far,” says Anne Myhrvold, director general of the PSA.

Myhrvold added that Eni Norge would brief the PSA about safety conditions on the platform before Goliat resumes production. “We will not speculate about the timing of a restart,” she said.

The Goliat FPSO lost all power from shore and the production was stopped on August 26. The field is supplied with hydro-generated electricity from the mainland by means of a subsea cable. The Goliat is located 85 kilometers northwest of Hammerfest.