Statoil ASA (STO) said the gas leak that began at the Kaarstoe natural gas processing plant late on Jan. 8 has stopped. External resources from emergency services have halted, and conditions are normalizing at the plant, the company added.
Reuters reported that after the leak, which began at 2130 GMT Jan. 8, most production at the plant was shut down, and that there had been a partial evacuation of personnel. Statoil had previously told Reuters that all personnel were accounted for and the situation was under control. Statoil is a technical service provider at Kaarstoe.
Gas production capacity in Norway, western Europe's top supplier, was cut by more than 32 million cubic metres (mcm) per day on Jan. 8, gas system operator Gassco said, including a reduction at the Sleipner gas field.
"More than half of production at Kaarstoe was shut due to the leak, but some parts remain producing. It wasn't fully shut," Gassco's spokeswoman Lisbet Kallevik said.
"It remains unclear how long it will take to get back to full production," she added.
"We have a control of the situation at Kaarstoe, but it will take some time to depressurize the plant. I can't tell how long," Knut Rostad, a spokesman for Statoil, said.
Huge flames could be seen coming from the plant's flares as gas was burned to reduce the pressure at the facility, Statoil said.
A skeleton staff of 25 people remained at the plant to manage the incident.
The gas leak occurred at a facility where pipelines delivering gas from offshore fields connect to the plant, but the cause of the incident has not been determined yet, Statoil said.
Recommended Reading
Report: Crescent Midstream Exploring $1.3B Sale
2024-04-23 - Sources say another company is considering $1.3B acquisition for Crescent Midstream’s facilities and pipelines focused on Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.
Energy Transfer Announces Cash Distribution on Series I Units
2024-04-22 - Energy Transfer’s distribution will be payable May 15 to Series I unitholders of record by May 1.
Balticconnector Gas Pipeline Back in Operation After Damage
2024-04-22 - The Balticconnector subsea gas link between Estonia and Finland was severely damaged in October, hurting energy security and raising alarm bells in the wider region.
Wayangankar: Golden Era for US Natural Gas Storage – Version 2.0
2024-04-19 - While the current resurgence in gas storage is reminiscent of the 2000s —an era that saw ~400 Bcf of storage capacity additions — the market drivers providing the tailwinds today are drastically different from that cycle.