Update 24 October – 20:00 CEST: Equinor's emergency response organisation has been demobilised, and work has begun to prepare Sleipner B for investigation.
A search and rescue team from the Sleipner A platform was on board the unmanned Sleipner B platform this afternoon. They examined the conditions on board and started preparing the platform for investigation. Sleipner B has been shut down and without power since Tuesday 22 October.
The mobilisation followed detection of smoke in a switchboard room. During the handling, flames were also observed on a surveillance camera.
On Thursday 24 October at 03:17, a situation also occurred with smoke development in a switchboard room on the Sleipner T platform in the North Sea. Sleipner T is a processing platform with functionality for removing CO2, which is tied to Sleipner A by a gangway. It was observed that there had been overheating in an electric drawer. During the incident, 215 people on board Sleipner A were mobilised to lifeboats according to standard procedure. The situation was quickly clarified.
At present, Equinor does not see any direct link between the incidents on the Sleipner B and T platforms.
* * *
Update 23 October – 12:40 CEST: On Tuesday evening at 21:45 CEST, the emergency response vessels halted efforts to cool down the Sleipner B platform.
Since then, no smoke has been observed. Observations during the night using heat-seeking cameras from SAR helicopters indicate that the temperature in the area is almost back to normal.
The emergency response team is planning to send a team from Sleipner A on board Sleipner B to carry out a safe inspection.
Equinor will investigate the incident.
* * *
Update: 22 October – 16:00 CEST: The emergency vessels Skandi Mongstad and Esvagt Bergen have used seawater to cool down the platform from a distance during the day.
The vessels will remain stationed outside the unmanned Sleipner B platform and monitor the situation for as long as necessary.
A SAR helicopter will fly over the platform with a thermal imaging camera to monitor the situation.
There is no danger to life and health. Production from Sleipner B has been shut down, and the platform is depressurized and without power. The reduction in gas exports resulting from this incident will not have any consequences for the commitments that we have made to our customers.
The Equinor Emergency Response team was notified of smoke development in a switchgear room at the Sleipner B platform 22nd October at 04:40 AM.
* * *
Initial message: 22 October – 09:52 CEST: The Equinor Emergency Response team was notified of smoke development in a switchgear room at the Sleipner B platform 22nd October at 04:40 AM. The vessel Skandi Mongstad has been mobilized to the area.
Sleipner B is an unmanned production platform located in the Sleipner Vest area in the North Sea, 12.5 km away from the Sleipner A platform.
Production has been shut down, and the facility has been depressurized.
Equinor's emergency response organization has been mobilized, and relevant authorities have been notified.
