Statoil shuts Troll C platform after corrosion discovery
16 November 2012
Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil shut its massive Troll C oil and gas platform on November 14 after discovering corrosion in the auxiliary system for gas treatment. Troll C has a daily production of around 120,000 barrels of oil and 10.5 million cubic metres of gas.
"During a scheduled inspection on the platform corrosion was discovered on a tank in the glycol system, which is an auxiliary system for treating gas on the platform," Statoil said.
A similar tank in a parallel gas-treatment system is also being checked, the company said. At least one tank is needed for production to continue, said Statoil spokesman Ole Anders Skauby.
"Corrosion under the insulation is a known issue, especially in older equipment," he said.
On November 15, Statoil said an inspection was taking place but it did not know when production could restart.
The shutdown comes just a week after Statoil evacuated 336 workers from a floating hotel at the Njord Field in the Norwegian Sea due to a leak in a ballast tank.
Troll is one of Norway's most important oil and gas fields, producing 568,450 barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2011, or about 15% of Norway's total production of 3.8 million barrels a day.
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