Eni Can Resume Goliat Production
Monday 11 December 2017
Following an overall assessment, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has determined that the order which required a shutdown of Goliat has now been complied with. This means that operator Eni Norge (Eni) can bring the field back on stream.The order which required Eni to cease production from Goliat was issued on 6 October 2017. That followed an audit directed at electrical safety on the field, which took place from 19-28 September.
Background
This audit revealed serious breaches of the regulations, and the PSA therefore gave Eni notice of an order on 5 October 2017.
The PSA decided on 10 November to conduct a verification related to the order before production from Goliat could be resumed. This was carried out on 23-24 November.
At the same time, the PSA requested that Eni take the initiative on a meeting to present its plans for bringing the field back on stream. Statoil was asked to attend this meeting to explain what measures it has implemented as a Goliat licensee to fulfil its see-to-it duty, with particular reference to the resumption of production. This meeting took place on 6 December 2017.
On the basis of the information received from Eni and Statoil, together with its own verification and overall assessments, the PSA now regards the order as complied with. This means that the PSA has no objections to production resuming on Goliat.
Responsibility
It is important to emphasise in this context that the PSA’s verification does not involve any approval of the equipment or safety on the field. Eni, together with Statoil, is responsible for safety on Goliat.
A basic principle of Norway’s petroleum regulations is that each company is responsible for the safety of its own activities. The necessary detailed knowledge, decision-making authority and not least resources to ensure implementation of and compliance with the regulatory requirements rest with the individual player.