North Sea major Marathon Oil has been slapped with an improvement notice on its ageing Brae Bravo platform by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE said a routine inspection discovered a fault with the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system serving the accommodation block. The move comes after HSE served a notice on the same platform in 2011. The platform serves the company’s Brae field complex and has been in use since 1987.
The Houston-based oil giant announced plans to sell off its North Sea assets in a statement in December.
The firm, which employs more than 1,000 North Sea workers, said it was putting its British and Norwegian fields up for sale as it aims to focus on the shale gas boom in the US.
In an interview in the Press & Journal’s publication Energy, Carrie Lockhart, Marathon’s regional VP UK, said the company was operating “business as usual” and maintained plans to continue drilling and maintaining its infrastructure.
She said: “Some of the platforms were built with a life expectancy of 15-20 years and we’ve only gotten to where we are through the dedication of the team, paying attention to the things that really matter … to maintaining efficiency and maximise value, including seeking ways to extend the life of the assets out there in the North Sea.”
Marathon said in a statement: “Marathon Oil received an improvement notice on December 2 2013 from the HSE. This was relating to pressurisation testing requirements for the temporary refuge on the Brae Bravo platform.
“Safety is our first priority in all aspects of our business.
“Current systems are working well and as per design, and pressurisation is being maintained. Work is under way to satisfy recent guidance on testing, which will enable the improvement notice to be closed.”
Marathon has had a significant North Sea presence for two decades.
It operates the South, Central, North and West Brae fields, as well as holding stakes in the East Brae and Braemar fields.
It also operates the Brae-Forties pipeline, and has stakes in the Foinaven field west of Shetland and the Sage pipeline to the huge St Fergus gas terminal.