Total UK Ltd. reported a well intervention operation stopped the G4 well natural gas leak on the Elgin complex in the UK North Sea within 12 hr of when workers started pumping heavy mud into the well.
The G4 well had leaked since Mar. 25, prompting an evacuation of 238 people from Elgin and an adjacent drilling rig, the Rowan Viking. From an estimated initial gas flow rate of around 2 kg/sec, the leak progressively decreased to 0.5 kg/sec, Total UK said.
Experts from Total and specialist contractors will closely monitor the G4 well in coming days to confirm the complete success of the intervention, Total UK said.
Yves-Louis Darricarrere, Total’s president of exploration and production, said the company’s priority was to stop the gas leak safely and as quickly as possible.
“We have been working closely with the authorities and we have communicated transparently and will continue to do so,” he said. “We shall now fully complete the ongoing task and take into account the lessons learned from this incident.”
No details were immediately available yet on whether Total will continue drilling the relief well that already is under way.
