By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 2 -- Work was "going well and according to plan" Wednesday to secure a well that started to leak natural gas from the Snorre A tension leg platform in the Norwegian North Sea, said field operator Statoil ASA.
The leak was detected Nov. 28 during a workover of the well, which included pulling the production tubing, and has left 130,000 b/d of oil production shut in from Snorre A as well as 75,000 b/d of oil from the Vigdis satellite field, which uses the Snorre A facilities for processing.
Statoil was uncertain about when production would resume. A total of 65 people worked to bring the well under control and halt the leak.
"The well has now been brought under control, and no gas is reaching the tension leg platform, but the position remains unclear. Gas is flowing up from the seabed to the sea surface," Statoil said.
About 180 of Snorre A's 216 crew members were evacuated from the TLP at the time of the leak's discovery. They were transferred by helicopter to the Stena Don drilling rig, to the Snorre B platform, and to other nearby installations.
