Six killed in crane incident at Samsung Heavy shipyard

Six people were killed and over 20 injured on Monday after a crane collapsed at Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, where modules for Total’s Martin Linge topsides are being built.

According to Total’s statement on Monday, the accident happened at 07:45 Norwegian time and no one from the Total project organization was among the dead and injured.

Following the incident, all work at the Samsung yard was closed.

“We know that a crane fell down on the wellbay module for the Martin Linge platform. The cause of the accident is still unknown,” says Leif Harald Halvorsen, Communication Manager at Total E&P Norge.

Total also added that the site was closed and the local authorities and police started their investigations.

The first representatives from the management at Total E&P Norge and the Martin Linge project headed to the site on Monday to give support to the project organization and the main contractor, the consortium Technip/Samsung Heavy Industries.

In its latest update, issued on Monday at around 5 pm Norwegian time, Total could not confirm the number of killed or injured in the accident.

However, Reuters reported that six have been killed and more than 20 injured in the incident. Total and Samsung told Reuters that it was not clear on how the incident might affect the delivery of the Martin Linge platform, which was expected to start producing oil and gas in the North Sea in 2018.

Total E&P Norge is the operator of the Martin Linge field, which is located offshore Norway near the British part of the North Sea, about 42 kilometers west of the Oseberg field.

The Martin Linge development plan includes integrated wellhead, production, and accommodation platform with a jacket, in addition to a floating, storage and offloading (FSO) vessel used for oil storage.

Offshore Energy Today Staff