UK: Total charged over Elgin gas leak

French oil major Total has reportedly been charged for a gas leak on one of its North Sea platforms in 2012. 

Namely, back in March 2012, Total’s Elgin platform, located in the UK North Sea 240 km from Aberdeen, experienced a gas leak on the G4 well spurring evacuation of 238 people from Elgin and an adjacent drilling rig, the Rowan Viking.

The incident occurred during work to plug and abandon the well, which was no longer producing gas.

It took Total almost two months to plug the leak. The leak was stopped on May 15 after mud was injected into the well. The well was then permanently plugged with five cement plugs, the last of which was set in place on October 22, 2012, creating a 1,000-meter thick barrier.

According to a BBC report on Friday, Total is due to appear in Aberdeen Sheriff Court next week under offshore installations regulations.

Offshore Energy Today reached out to Total seeking confirmation of these reports. However, the company was not immediately available for comments.

Elgin and its adjacent field, Franklin, are located in the Central Graben area, in the UK, where the West Franklin Phase 2 project was brought on stream earlier this year.

 

Offshore Energy Today Staff