Report: Offshore worker dies on Total’s Culzean field off UK

An offshore worker has reportedly died this week after falling into the North Sea while working on the Total-operated Culzean field.

According media reports, a worker was reported missing on Thursday, January 24, around 11 AM. The body of the worker was later found, and the family of the man was informed. The identity of the worker is still unknown.

“Police can sadly confirm that the body of a man was recovered in the North Sea on Thursday during efforts to locate a person that had been reported missing.

“Emergency services were contacted at around 11 AM and a subsequent search was launched led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Inquiries are ongoing to confirm the identity of the man,” a Police Scotland spokeswoman told Scottish TV.

Discovered in 2008 by Maersk Oil, Culzean is an HPHT gas condensate field in the East Central Graben area of the central North Sea, located 260 km off the coast of Aberdeen.

With resources now estimated at 250-300 million barrels of oil equivalent, Culzean is the largest UK gas field to be sanctioned for a quarter of a century. Its production is expected to start in 2019 and continue for at least 13 years, providing 5% of total UK gas demand. Total took over the field through the acquisition of Maersk Oil in 2018.

Offshore Energy Today has contacted the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency for more details regarding this tragic incident.

UK MCA said: “HM Coastguard has been coordinating the search for a missing person, over a hundred miles off Aberdeen in the North Sea. The HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft was sent. The search has now been concluded and the matter now sits with Police Scotland.”