here it is. looks like a non-issue to me:
487 words
28/08/2009
Upstream
6
English
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Ithaca's Alpha facility is criticised by UK Health & Safety Executive
The condition of Ithaca Energy's Beatrice Alpha platform in the Inner Moray Firth of Scotland has been slammed by the UK safety regulator.
The general state of the ?30-year-old facility was criticised following a visit by Health & Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors at the end of May.
HSE has now served an Improvement Notice requiring a repair and maintenance plan to be drawn up by the end of September.
The notice was officially served against Wood Group, which, as duty holder, handles the day to running of the platform on behalf of Ithaca and is responsible for safety.
The notice refers only to the general condition of the platform and not to anything that could cause a major hazard or halt production.
Ithaca's chief developments officer John Woods told Upstream: "I think the HSE is probably justified in saying that generally the state of the place has become rundown.
"HSE was concerned about the general state and about the activity that was going on to address it and put it right. Ithaca broadly shares those concerns.
"The Improvement Notice requires us to put in place a plan to essentially manage the condition of the platform over its remaining years." Woods said an independent expert had carried out a survey of the platform on which the repair and maintenance programme would be based.
This had highlighted several areas of concern, including discolouration of paintwork, rusting pipework and what Woods said was "serious corrosion in certain places".
Ithaca started leasing Beatrice, along with a pipeline to shore and the Nigg storage facility, from Talisman Energy last year.
Woods said a lot the problems were inherited from the previous owners and to some extent were to be expected on an ageing facility.
Ithaca holds a 50% operated interest in the field.
Decommissioning obligations remain with Talisman.
In April, Ithaca's Jacky field in neighbouring Block Block 12/21c, began producing as a tie-back to Beatrice A. Output from Beatrice is currently about 2200 barrels per day of oil, while Jacky is producing at about 10,000 bpd.
Woods said the cost of the work would probably be "in the order of
2 million (US$3.27 million) over the course of a couple of years," although this was a very early estimate.
A team of 11 people is on the facility stepping up maintenance activity, he added.
Wood Group was unavailable for comment.
•• Ithaca is gearing up to drill a new water injection well on the Jacky field.
The company said the jack-up Ensco 80 has arrived in Invergordon in preparation for the work.
The well will help maintain output on the depleting field.
