The incident happened on 4 September, when the Saipem-owned semi-submersible “Scarabeo 8” developed a 5.7 degree list after its ballast tank took on water. It is currently conducting exploration drilling on well 7220/10 for Eni Norge.
140 people on the rig mustered ready to go to the lifeboats 200 kilometers off Hammerfest following the triggering of an alarm. The situation was over about one hour later.
The incident did not entail major accident risk; however, the PSA takes a serious view of what happened. Preliminary findings indicate that the incident was caused by incorrect operation of equipment, PSA’s web site reads.
Eni Norge AS, the company’s Norway branch, has a 40 percent stake in the project, while partners Lundin Norway AS, RWE Dea Norge AS and Det norske oljeselskap ASA all have a 20 percent stake.
The PSA has closely monitored the operating company Eni and rig owner Saipem in the period following the incident. On Monday, 10 September, the PSA met with the responsible companies in order to obtain more information about the course of events and further actions.
Based on the information that emerged in this meeting, the PSA has now decided to initiate an investigation of the incident. The investigation will focus on Saipem’s management of capacity and competence.
