Riser Breach on Lundin Rig in Norway

During drilling operations on the Bredford Dolphin rig, operated by Lundin Norway, an incident occurred at 01.45 on January 16.

Lundin has stated that there was a breach in the riser 65m under the deck of the rig. The safety distance to the reservoir is good which means there is no risk of hydrocarbon flowing. All safety systems are intact. The well is shut in and under control, the blowout preventer closed and the well fully secured. No one was affected by this incident and all 88 persons on board the rig are safe, says the managing director Norway, Torstein Sanness.

When the riser parted it contained water based mud and "yellow chemicals". These chemicals are approved by the authorities and are not categorized as environmentally damaging.

Well (16/3-8 S in PL 501) is located approximately 138km from the Rogaland coast (Utsira), Norway. Water depth is approximately 116m. There are strong winds in the area up to 48 knots.

The company's emergency response organization is coordinating support services and has contacted all relevant authorities. Every possible action is being taken to get an overview of the situation and to confirm details of the incident, says the company.