COMMENT BY A NORTH SEA PLATFORM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION EXPERT
John,
Something is very strange about the Elgin well head platform and the subsequent leak. The media has made so much speculation that has little or no technical sense whatsoever. The attached is a scan of the wellhead itself as published in the Aberdeen Press and journal on Saturday.
What you can see is the well casing and small holes in that casing, where gas and lots of what looks like wax, can be seen on the surrounding area. I have not seen the well construction data but clearly the holes are part of the original design but exactly what function they have and for what purpose is only known to the in-house Total Engineers.
In order to be able to make statements to what has happen a much better knowledge is needed. I know from experience that if the media don’t get any information they publish anything, most of which is incorrect or make connections to other issues which have no plausible connections at all.
E.g. Elgin leak could never be connected in anyway even loosely to the Corrib gas development in Ireland or any other issues. HPHT gas/oil developments are unique and have taxed the best brains and Scientific knowledge available in the development implementation. When these fields were initially discovered. Circa early 80’s they were classed as “unable to be developed” Almost 20 years went by before and countless studies before either Total or Shell were confident enough to proceed with development.
The investigation into this well failure is of great interest to all Oil and Gas Professionals both current and retired but the present media hype is of little factual interest to anyone.
Regards
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Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
