Jadestone Energy's Montara Venture FPSO offshore Australia, which had resumed output in March after a lengthy shutdown, has been shut down again.
Jadestone said Monday that on July 29, 2023, a gas alarm was triggered within ballast water tank 4S, indicating possible communication with one of the adjacent tanks within the FPSO.
"Production from the Montara fields has been temporarily shut in and key stakeholders, including the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (“NOPSEMA”), were notified of the incident," Jadestone said.
According to Jadestone, tank 4S will be emptied and cleaned over the next week to permit an inspection to identify the source of the communication between tanks and allow for appropriate repairs.
Paul Blakeley, President and CEO commented:"While disappointing and frustrating to have to shut in Montara again, we will find and repair any additional defect while continuing with the overall planned programme of inspection of the storage tanks on the FPSO. The safety of our personnel, as well as the long-term integrity of the asset, are paramount. We will provide a further update once the inspection of tank 4S is complete."