PSA Investigates Pipe Rupture Incident at Mongstad Facility (Norway)

On Thursday, 8 November 2012, a rupture was discovered in a blow-down pipe for feed water in the cracker in the Mongstad facility. The PSA has decided to investigate the incident.

The incident was discovered on Thursday, 8 November, at approx. 0545 hours, through an unusual amount of noise coming from the cracking facility.

The cause was a leak following a pipe rupture on a blow-down pipe for feed water in the cracking facility. Parts of the pipe had been torn off.

The leak was quickly stopped. The leak rate was estimated at 78 kg/s. The feed water had a temperature of 245 degrees C. The pressure in the pipe was 35 bar.

The day before the pipe rupture and leak was discovered, construction of scaffolding had started just beneath the rupture site to isolate and repair a small steam leak in the same area.

Work was not ongoing in the area when the rupture occurred, but the work was scheduled to start later that same morning.

Statoil is the operator of the Mongstad facility. The company has started its own investigation of the incident.

The objective of the PSA’s investigation is, among other things, to map the course of events and identify triggering and underlying causes.

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Press Release, November 22, 2012