Supply Vessel Collides with Statfjord A Platform

On Friday, June 7 at 0155 Norwegian time, the supply vessel PSV Sjøborg collided into the Statfjord A platform in connection with loading operations. Statfjord A is currently in a scheduled production stop, and there was no production on the platform when the incident occurred, said operator Equinor in a statement.

Equinor’s emergency response organization has been gathered and is assisting in the situation.

There were 276 people on board Statfjord A when the incident occurred. There are no injuries on board the platform.

The total extent of damage on the platform is now being investigated. Sjøborg is on its way to land on its own power. There are 12 people on board the vessel.

Damage to lifeboats and the need to clarify the extent of the collision mean that personnel have been moved from Statfjord A to nearby installations. Two searches and rescue helicopters and a helicopter from the rescue coordination center have flown personnel from Statfjord A to Statfjord B and C, and Gullfaks A.

The area standby vessel Stril Herkules is at the field and is assisting in the work to clarify the extent of the damage.

The platform was recently involved in another incident: on May 15, oil was spotted on the surface of the sea as crude was being loaded onto a shuttle tanker at one of Statfjord A's loading buoys.

Equinor was awarded the contract for the removal of Statfjord A, one of the oldest platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf. The platform is expected to shut down production in 2022, 43 years after first oil.