Near fatal near-miss incident at Exxon-run rig off Nova Scotia

A nearly fatal incident struck an Exxon-operated jack-up rig offshore Nova Scotia on Monday after 225 pounds of equipment fell on the deck of the rig. There were five workers in the area at the time of the incident.

The incident happened aboard the Noble Regina Allen rig which Exxon has been using for P&A work.

According to CNSOPB, Nova Scotia’s oil and gas regulator, the CNSOPB safety officer deployed a day after the incident confirmed that a 52-foot chain, along with a swivel and shackle (a segment of lifting gear arrangement) with a combined weight of 225 pounds, fell to the deck in the derrick area. While there were five workers in the area at the time, no one was injured.

“Although there were no injuries associated with this incident, it was determined that it had the potential for fatality, and has thus been classified as a high potential near miss.  Ongoing work was immediately stopped, and the area was secured. A safety standdown was held with all involved personnel. Well operations remain suspended as of this time,” CNSOPB said.

The rig is currently located adjacent to the Venture platform carrying out the plugging of development wells as part of ExxonMobil’s decommissioning and abandonment of the Sable Offshore Energy Project. The incident remains under investigation by ExxonMobil and by Noble Corporation, the owner of the Noble Regina Allen.