Ekofisk tank has to shut down

by the Norwegian Petroleum Museum

High waves during the hurricane of December 1990 caused damage to the tank and led to a temporary shutdown. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) afterwards kept a close eye on conditions there.

— Ekofisk in bad weather. Photo: Husmo Photo / Norwegian Petroleum Museum

It was worried that similar incidents could occur as seabed subsidence continued. That prompted it to give the licensees in production licence 018 notice of an order on 8 October:

”The above-mentioned conditions on 2/4 T do not accord with the minimum requirements in the regulations for the safety of people, the environment and material assets.

”Continued modifications on 2/4 T will be insufficient to compensate for the negative trend in the level of risk on the facility …

”Persistent subsidence could also contribute to a continuous worsening in the risk picture. Consideration for the safety of people, the environment and material assets requires a permanent cessation of processing and transport activities on 2/4 T.

”Given the expected development of the risk level on the facility, the NPD concludes until further notice that the above-mentioned activity on 2/4 T must cease permanently from the winter season of 1995-96 at the latest.”

Knut Åm by his office desk. Printed in Ekofisk no 4, 1993. Photo: Dag Myrestrand/ConocoPhillips

Phillips Norway CEO Knut Åm claimed that the tank was in better condition than ever. But this letter was a serious warning to the company as operator of Ekofisk, and eventually triggered plans for the Ekofisk II development.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Lerøen, Bjørn Vidar, 1001 brønn. Oljedirektoratet 1972-1997.