Statoil: North Sea pipeline breach 'significant'

A February leak from the Gudrun platform in the North Sea had the potential to be a significant and fatal incident, an investigation from Statoil found.

Gudrun was Statoil's first new operation on the Norwegian continental shelf in nearly a decade when it came online in early 2014. The facility was shut down briefly in February after a leak was detected. In its investigation, Statoil said the leak of about 140 cubic feet of material was the result of a crack extending nearly the entire circumference of a two-inch pipeline.

The company said no injuries were reported as no personnel were near the site of the crack at the time. Its findings, however, suggested the subsequent gas cloud could've ignited and lead to a fatal incident on board the North Sea platform.

"The condensate leak on Gudrun was serious with major incident potential," Oystein Arvid Haland, Statoil's vice president in charge of safety, said in a statement. "Statoil is working systematically on gas leak prevention, and the learnings from this incident shall be translated into specific actions."

Material evidence showed the crack was the result of fatigue and overload in the pipeline system.

Hydrocarbons produced from Gudrun are sent to onshore production facilities and then on to European consumers through existing pipeline networks. Norway is a regional leader in oil and natural gas production, helping to meet the energy needs of its neighbors.

The field itself was discovered in 1975. The company described it as a megaproject, representing more than $1.9 billion in investments.