Shell has been fined £560,000 following a major hydrocarbon release on a North Sea oil rig after it failed to properly maintain pipework for seven years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the oil and gas giant neglected pipework on the Brent Charlie platform, causing an explosion risk.

It said the pipework deteriorated to such an extent that contained hydrocarbon fluids escaped, forming a potentially catastrophic explosive and flammable mixture.

Ventilation fans designed to mitigate the effects of escaped hydrocarbon gas did not function properly due to lack of maintenance, leading to a large release of mixed phase crude oil and gas from the corroded pipework, HSE said.

The uncontrolled hydrocarbon release occurred on May 19, 2017 and was the largest reported to HSE that year,

See Full Page