PSA Norway Investigates Fall Injury at Oseberg B Platform

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has decided to investigate a lifting incident that resulted in one injury on Equinor's Oseberg B platform on April 16.

The accident occurred while skidding the derrick on the North Sea platform. One person was injured after falling from the catwalk to the pipedeck during a lifting operation. He fell a distance of about 12 feet and received first aid on the spot before being flown ashore for medical treatment.

A team of specialists from PSA Norway has started work on its investigation. The main aims are to identify causes and takeways from the incident and to share this information with the industry.

During its investigation, the team will identify the direct and underlying causes, apply enforcement powers to correct possible breaches of the regulations, and collect any safety lessons-learned for distribution to other players in the petroleum sector.

Coronavirus case at Oseberg field

On the same day as the accident, Norwegian outlets broke the news of a positive coronavirus case aboard a drilling rig at the Oseberg field. The rig, the jackup Askepott (Cinderella), is working adjacent to the Oseberg H platform. One individual was flown ashore for treatment and tested positive for the disease. Workers who came into contact with the known positive case have been placed in isolation while plans are made for transporting them to shore. Operations aboard Askepott will not be affected, a company spokesperson told NRK.

Last month, Equinor temporarily suspended helicopter flights to Askepott and two other offshore facilities due to a coronavirus scare. Flight service has since resumed.

Oseberg is one of two fields that Equinor uses to vary its company-wide natural gas production rate, and Platts reports that its gas output has dropped to a "minimal level" over the last two weeks, even though planned maintenance has been rescheduled. European natural gas prices are trading at historic lows.