Statoil evacuates workers after well incident at Songa Endurance rig

Norwegian oil company Statoil has informed that on Saturday, October 15 a well control incident occurred off Norway on the drilling rig Songa Endurance prompting the company to evacuate non-essential personnel. 

The well has been secured with a blowout preventer around the drill string on the seabed and with a valve on the rig.

Statoil said on Saturday that work was being carried out to stabilize the well and personnel without work assignments in connection with the incident was being removed from the rig.

The incident was reported to the company’s alarm center at 9:50 am CET on Saturday. There were 107 people on board when the incident occurred. No injuries were reported and there was no risk of an oil spill.

Songa Endurance was working on the G4 well in the Troll field near Troll B when complications arose. Complications occurred during the work on removing the production string from the well. The blowout preventer was then activated and the well was closed.