Offshore safety body spots irregularities on Balder FPU

Norwegian offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has found irregularities during an audit of Vår Energi’s management of major accident risk and barriers on the Balder FPU off Norway.

The PSA said on Monday that it carried out the audit on Vår Energi’s Balder FPU in weeks 6 and 8 of 2019.

The safety body added that Point Resources, before becoming a part of Vår Energi, applied for consent for a life extension to 2030 for Balder.

Vår Energi was formed in December 2018 through a merger of Eni Norge and Point resources. The company claims to have reserves and resources of more than 1,250 million barrels of oil equivalent.

According to the Norwegian watchdog, this audit will form part of the basis for processing the application.

The objective of the audit was to assess how Vår Energi is ensuring compliance with the authorities’ and its requirements in relation to the management of major accident risk and barriers at Balder.

The PSA identified non-conformities regarding the management of major accident risk and barriers, follow-up of barriers, barrier deteriorations and compensatory measures, barrier strategy and performance standards, management of change, process safety, ignition source control, fire resistance, temporary equipment and installations.

Other non-conformities are linked with labeling, maintenance program, documentation, deck gratings made from composites in evacuation routes.

Also, improvement points were found regarding planning and prioritization and classification.

Vår Energi was told to report on how the non-conformities and improvement points would be addressed by June 20, 2019, at the latest.

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