Natural Gas Production Platform News

As the City of San Francisco commissions its latest fireboat today, the vessel, designed by Seattle-based Jensen Maritime Consultants, exemplifies the evolution and growth of the naval architecture and marine engineering firm since it was acquired by Crowley Maritime Corp. in 2008. “Eight years ago I’m not sure this project would have been in our sweet spot,” said Johan Sperling, vice president of Crowley’s marine solutions group, which includes Jensen. “But over the past eight years, Crowley has made a considerable effort to give us all the tools we need to expand into new areas. “It’s one thing to be able to design a good looking boat, but if it can’t be built efficiently and cost effectively, and if it doesn’t operate the way it is supposed to, what do you really have?” said Sperling.

The Coast Guard and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement are responding to a loss of well control event at Ship Shoal Block 225 Platform B, a natural gas and crude oil platform located approximately 74 miles southwest of Port Fourchon, Tuesday. The Coast Guard and BSEE received a report from Energy Resources Technology Gulf of Mexico LLC that an oil and natural gas production platform, owned by ERT, lost well control. Work to temporarily plug Well #B2 was ongoing when workers became aware of the well control event. Two other wells on Platform B were producing at the time and were subsequently shut-in. All platform personnel were safely evacuated. BSEE inspectors and Coast Guard pollution responders conducted overflights earlier today.

ABB wins Statoil order to install high voltage power subsea cables  to the 'Troll' A gas platform on the western coast of Norway. The Troll A concrete deep water structure is the world’s largest natural gas production platform, 473 meters tall and weighs 1.2 million tons; it is the tallest structure ever to be moved by mankind. The platform can produce as much as 120 million cubic meters per day; it contains approximately 40 percent of the natural gas reserves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and is a cornerstone of the gas supply to the European Continent.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today released the findings of its investigation into a fire that occurred Sept. 2, 2010, on Mariner Energy Inc.’s, Vermilion 380 A oil and natural gas production platform located approximately 102 miles off the coast of Louisiana. A BOEMRE Accident Investigation Panel concluded that the fire was caused by the collapse of a fire tube located inside of the platform’s Heater-Treater.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is responding to a report of a fatality at Hilcorp Energy Company's West Cameron Block 643 Platform A, a natural gas production platform approximately 129 miles offshore Louisiana, south of Lake Charles, in about 375 feet of water. The platform has not been in production since 2008 and operations to plug and abandon its wells were underway. According to the company's report, at approximately 4:00 a.m., an employee of Alliance Oilfield Services working for Hilcorp was assisting in abandonment operations when he fell through a deck opening. The victim was assisted by first responders on the platform, then med-evaced by helicopter for emergency medical attention. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is responding to a report that Apache Corp. has experienced a potential natural gas leak at East Cameron Block 278 Platform B, a natural gas production platform approximately 93 miles offshore Louisiana, south of Lake Charles, in about 173 feet of water. The platform, which has not been in production for nearly a decade, is currently used to process natural gas and condensate from other facilities. According to its report, at approximately 10 a.m., January 16, Apache was in the process of permanently plugging its associated non-producing natural gas wells when workers spotted what appeared to be natural gas bubbling to the surface near the platform.

U.S. Coast Guard units operating in the Houston - Galveston area of responsibility have as of 4 p.m. Tuesday processed 51 reports of pollution and repaired or replaced 40 percent of critical aids to navigation damaged or missing in the wake of Hurricane Ike.Of the 51 pollution reports, 15 incidents require active cleanup, 14 require passive action and 22 require no further action by the Coast Guard. The reports cover a range of incidents including the discharge of petroleum products from storage tanks that have been damaged and/or are submerged in flood waters, the discharge of fuel from submerged machinery and sunken or damaged vessels in marinas, and natural gas leaks. A pipeline in , leaking natural gas from a valve currently under six feet of water.