Eni has been ordered to shut down all production from the Goliat floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, after the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway (PSA) gives the Italian giant a notice to improve its electrical safety.
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The Goliat FPSO. Image from Eni. |
The PSA has issued an order to Eni Norge to minimize the ignition threat posed by possible faulty Ex motors on the Goliat field in the Barents Sea.
“Until the order has been complied with to the PSA’s satisfaction, all production from the Goliat FPSO unit must remain shut down,” the PSA said in a statement.
An audit of electrical safety and the person in charge of the electrical facilities at Eni on board the Goliat FPSO was conducted between 19-28 September 2017. The order was given last week on 5 October.
Eni must complete the systematic survey of potential ignition sources related to electric Ex motors, and implement the necessary technical, operational and organizational measures to reduce as far as possible the threat of ignition from all faults, which represent an ignition source.
According to the PSA, the audit revealed a high fault rate with the Ex integrity of the equipment was established through random sampling of reports from Ex inspections of electric motors incorporating an emergency stop arrangement. This also included equipment in hazardous areas.
Eni submitted that the total fault rate for the relevant equipment after inspection-related repair was 38%. It further emerged that 3.5% of these represented serious faults in Eni’s own assessment.
Eni has three weeks to lodge a possible appeal against the order.
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