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OILC raises worries about Shell platform leaksThe OILC union claims Shell Expro has found more than 20 leaking pipework patches on the Brent Charlie platform in the North Sea. The claim comes after the firm ordered urgent checks on all its North Sea platforms following the deaths of two workers. The OILC is reported to have said the Brent Charlie platform has been patched in 47 places, 21 of which were leaking, with seven leaking hydrocarbons. It is also understood that all OIMs have now been ordered to re-check the integrity of pipework repairs and certain valves. The offshore union OILC said it had been raising concerns about patched pipework on Shell platforms for more than three years and had been given countless reassurances about their safety. Shell Expro has responded by saying that patches are an industry standard way of repairing pipework (confirmed by UKOOA - The UK Offshore Operators Association), and that Shell monitors all of their patches through a patch register and none of the patches on Charlie are safety critical - if they were critical they would be dealt with. Added to site on 19/09/03 |