OIL giant Shell has said it is confident its North Sea wells will not fall victim to gas leaks suffered by rival operators. The assurance came after Total said it had warned Shell its Shearwater field may be at risk…
Saturday 7 September 2013
OIL giant Shell has said it is confident its North Sea wells will not fall victim to gas leaks suffered by rival operators.
The assurance came after Total said it had warned Shell its Shearwater field may be at risk from the same corrosive drilling fluids which sparked the North Sea’s worst gas leak in 20 years.
The fluids implicated in the leak at Total’s Elgin field last March, such as calcium bromide, are commonly used in such deep-sea wells.
The Elgin platform leaked gas for more than seven weeks and cost Total around £1.6 million a day in relief operations and lost income.