Husky to resume White Rose oil production after November 2018 spill

Husky Energy is preparing to resume oil production from two offshore drill centers at the White Rose field off Canada, following the November 2018 oil spill.

Husky has been given the approval to resume production by the offshore safety body C-NLOPB. The approval comes following flowline repairs and integrity testing. To remind, the incident happened on November 16 when a flowline connector failed and 250,000 liters of oil spilled in the ocean. It was Canada’s largest-ever spill.

“This restart of the North Amethyst and South White Rose Extension drill centers follows the safe resumption of operations from three other White Rose drill centers in the first half of 2019,” Husky said in a statement on Friday.

“We regret the spill last year,” said Husky Energy CEO Rob Peabody. “As a result of our investigation, we’ve enhanced our startup procedures, strengthened equipment and added more barriers to prevent failures. The lessons learned have also been shared broadly through the industry to try to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

“Husky will now begin an orderly restart and expects to reach full rates by early next week,” Husky said on Friday.

“This restart of the North Amethyst and South White Rose Extension drill centers follows the safe resumption of operations from three other White Rose drill centers in the first half of 2019.
Following the startup, Husky expects White Rose production to ramp up to approximately 20,000 barrels per day (Husky working interest),” the Canadian oil firm said.

Husky’s investigation into the November spill found the source of the spill was a failed flowline connector near the South White Rose Extension drill center, which parted during startup operations. A replacement flowline connector with a higher load capacity was installed at the South White Rose Extension drill center in July 2019. Flowline connectors are designed to release under specified tension in the event of iceberg activity. Other production flowlines with similar connectors have also been enhanced to withstand a higher load capacity.

The C-NLOPB investigation into the November 2018 spill continues. Any decisions with respect to enforcement action will be informed by the C-NLOPB’s investigation, the safety body said last week.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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