Ineos making ‘steady progress’ with Forties pipeline repair

Following the recent shutdown of the Forties pipeline in the North Sea, Ineos is sticking with its plan to complete the repair works within two to four weeks. 

The pipeline, which  carries the UK North Sea oil to the shore for processing, has been closed since Monday, December 11 after a routine inspection discovered a small hairline crack in the pipe at Red Moss near Netherley, just south of Aberdeen.

Ineos, the operator of the pipeline, said on Tuesday, December 19 that it continued to make steady progress towards the repair of the Forties Pipeline.

A continued assessment has confirmed that the hairline crack has stabilized and the crack has not propagated since flow of oil and gas was stopped through the pipe on December 11.

The company also added that repairs were progressing well and a number of options were being developed.

“The custom parts necessary for some of these options have now been fabricated and are being delivered to the site over the coming days as we progress the preferred method of repair from today.

“At this stage it is still too early to say exactly how long the repair will take to complete, and there is no change to the previously indicated timescale of two to four weeks from 11th Dec,” said Ineos.

The precautionary safety cordon remains at 150m. The restricted access to the road to the site (the unclassified CK12 Netherley to Cookney road) remains closed by the police and all non-essential drivers are being requested to seek alternative routes to ensure that the road remains clear for essential works.