The UK's increasing focus on pipeline integrity

Oct. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- Across the global oil and gas industry, few issues have carried quite as much urgency as pipeline integrity management has in recent times. With high-profile leaks highlighting not only the cost implications but the reputational damage that arise from such breaches, the importance of strategic planning in this area cannot be overstated.

In September, an enormous clean-up operation was mounted after an estimated 1,500 litres of oil leaked into Aberdeen Harbour when the Skandi Foula, an offshore vessel owned by Shell, was being refuelled at Torry dock. But this incident paled in comparison to a separate breach just weeks earlier.

On August 13th, it was widely reported that Shell was battling a major leak in a North Sea pipeline, after an oil sheen was spotted on the surface near the Gannet Alpha production platform 112 miles east of Aberdeen. The Anglo-Dutch firm faced immense criticism in the wake of the spill, which saw more than 200 tonnes of oil enter the water. It is thought to have been the worst oil spill in the region for at least a decade. As North Sea assets mature and incidents such as these become increasingly possible, the UK strategy for responding to oil spills has evolved significantly. In the event of a pipeline breach, the fate and behaviour of oil on the sea surface will be closely monitored from the moment a leak is discovered.

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